Why Brazil struggled in lone goal win over Chile Thursday

 

Brazil manager Tite has blamed his team’s narrow escape via a lone goal victory over Chile to the absence of key players and ‘lack of synergy’.

Everton Ribeiro came off the bench to score the goal that gave the visitors a barely deserved 1-0 win in Santiago that maintained their 100% record in 2022 World Cup qualifying.

Chile matched Brazil for most of a bad-tempered match but Ribeiro fired home after 64 minutes to give the visitors all three points.

Nine Brazilian players from the Premier League including Liverpool’s Alisson and Fabinho, and Manchester City duo Gabriel Jesus and Ederson  did not join the squad due to UK travel restrictions to South America.

In the news conference after the game, Tite highlighted the effort to organize the “coordination of movements” of the team, assembled in haste after several absences in the call.

“We had opportunities, but we lacked a little bit of coordination in our movements,” Tite said. “We lacked a little bit more synergy, in a team that barely settled, that never played together, in the first and second half.

“We stand before a big challenge in coordinating movements, links, of 11 players who have never played together adjusting to each other.”

Among the players who had an off night was Neymar, who has only played one game for Paris Saint-Germain this season.

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Tite brushed off criticisms that had dogged Neymar about not being at full fitness prior to PSG’s campaign.

“At the beginning of the season, all athletes are not at the peak of their technical condition. It is not just him. Everyone, some more, some less,” concluded the Brazilian coach.