Raphinha's arrogance costs Brazil

Brazil lost 1-4 to Argentina.

Brazil endured a night to forget in their history, conceding four goals in a World Cup qualifier for the first time. The 4-1 defeat to Argentina was a huge shock, exposing the decline of football in the land of samba. And Raphinha's arrogant words before the match only highlighted the misery of Brazilian football as a whole.

Too much talk, too little action

Before the match, striker Raphinha confidently declared: "I will score. We will beat Argentina on the field and if necessary, beat them off the field too."

This provocative and somewhat "hateful" statement quickly became the center of attention. Coach Lionel Scaloni later even had to recall the beautiful image of Lionel Messi and Neymar after the 2021 Copa America final.

"A match between Argentina and Brazil is always very important, but above all, it is still just a football match. I want people to remember the image of Messi and Neymar after the 2021 Copa America final, when they sat on the stairs together talking like friends," coach Scaloni emphasized.

The contrast in attitudes between the Argentine captain and the star in top form in Brazilian football this season seems to be a sign of tragedy for the "Selecao".

Raphinha may be good at Barcelona, ​​but he is nothing in a "Selecao" team that plays so poorly, it can be said that it is the most forgettable in history. The commentator of TNT Brazil channel after the match did not hesitate to sarcastically say: "Raphinha talks a lot, but does not do much."

The match in Buenos Aires on the morning of March 26 witnessed Argentina's complete dominance. With 12 shots (7 on target) compared to only 3 (1 on target) from Brazil, the blue and white striped team also created 4 clear chances while Brazil did not have a single real threat.

Argentina had 26 touches in the penalty area, far exceeding their opponents' 3. Ball possession also favored the home team, with 56% to 44%. This was Argentina's biggest win over Brazil since 1964, a painful record for the "Selecao".

An average group

Late in the game, goalkeeper Emi Martinez was so confident that he started playing with the ball during the match, as a way to taunt his opponents and assert Argentina's superiority. Argentina's four goals were a testament to their attacking prowess and the deterioration of Brazil's defense.

Looking at the way Alvarez or Simeone scored easily, no one would think this was the defense of Brazil, a candidate for the 2026 World Cup. The 1-4 loss in the 71st minute of Selecao was truly shameful, when the entire away team's defense played superficially, allowing Simeone to score after a shot from an extremely narrow angle.

Brazil is now just an average team and has weak names.

Currently, Brazil is still almost certain to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, but the 4th place in the South American qualifying rankings, 10 points behind Argentina, is unacceptable for the team that has won the world championship five times.

This defeat further highlighted the decline of Brazilian football, when they could not find a single world-class center-back or midfielder. From seeing talented names in the squad such as Zico, Socrates, Bebeto or later Ronaldinho, Kaka, Brazilian fans now had to witness Wesley, Andre and Joelinton playing.

The current Brazilian team has a lot of good players, who play a bit hard on the field. Even Vinicius and Raphinha, Brazil's brightest stars on the front line, are better at talking than doing. They may play well at club level, but when they return to the national team, Vinicius and Raphinha play very poorly. Against Argentina, Brazil is no different from a second-rate team.

Source: https://znews.vn/su-kieu-ngao-cua-raphinha-khien-brazil-tra-gia-post1540917.html