From our Special Envoy in Doha,
The advantage of leading 4-0 at half-time is that you can quickly turn the second half into a kind of old-fashioned jubilee.
Half football, half wrestling.
You know, the "Ronaldo friends vs Rest of the world" where everyone is brought in and out, including the goalkeeper, so that everyone can join in the fun.
And what does it matter that it is a round of 16 World Cup.
The important thing is group life: Tite therefore brought in Weverton in place of Alisson ten minutes from the end, when the Liverpool goalkeeper had just cashed a "golaço" from Seung-Ho Paik to fix the final score at 4-1.
The magic of the Rich's French Cup.
"It's a special moment for me," said the goalkeeper, all smiles in the mixed zone.
It was not planned.
The great match we had made my entrance possible and allowed me to feel this special atmosphere on the pitch.
“Ten minutes earlier, we had already found the entry of Dani Alves rather folkloric in place of Eder Militão.
Same joy for the former Parisian when explaining the usefulness of such a turnover.
“I'm happy to have played a few minutes and to have helped as much as I can to reach the goal.
A lot of people don't realize it, but it's thanks to the (largely revamped) squad that played against Cameroon that we were able to put on that intensity because the other players had had some recovery time.
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Ignite or relativize, what conclusions can be drawn after Korea?
The question being: what lessons can be drawn from a meeting folded in half an hour against an opponent already happy to have reached this point and probably too aware of his inferiority on paper (not taking away the fact that the Seleção gave birth to a déglingos match)?
Brazil have used all their players:
Consequence of the WTF replacement of Alisson ten minutes from the end, Tite is the first coach to have used all his players in this World Cup.
The equivalent of a bronze trophy on Playstation adapted to real life.
Neymar held on:
And he even scored from the penalty spot.
But he was not far from cracking the day of his injury against Serbia.
"I cried all night after, but everything went well in the end., confided the Parisian.
It was worth staying until 11:00 am the next day with the physio, then every day after.
At 30 years old, the Ney finally discovers the benefits of invisible training.
Better late than never.
Joga Bonito is not dead
: Richarlison's goal is proof of that.
A series of head juggles with the good memories of the Kerlon fraud, then a game out of step with… Thiago Silva and Marquinhos to conclude the whole thing with the coolness of a lizard.
In the press gallery, everyone applauded, some stood up.
And we, in the middle, we wondered how long it had been since the Seleção had made us vibrate so much.
And Pelé lives in hearts:
A little tifo - always in English, we'll come back for authenticity - stirred quickly in the second half and sweet words from the cracks of the Seleção, the king had his share of light in this glorious 8th of World Cup final.
“It's hard to talk about this, but I wish him the best, that he recovers as soon as possible.
I hope we brought him comfort with our victory,” Neymar said.
Vinicius goes even further.
"This victory is for him, we hope that everything will go well, that he will come out of it and that we will be champion for him".
Chick?
Tite also knows how to do Richarlison's pigeon dance:
In original version "a dança do pombo" is the trademark of the Tottenham striker.
Inspired by a sound by Mc Faísca e os Perseguidores - who reacted after the match - the move consists of imitating the flapping of wings, the shaking of the head and even the noises of the pigeon.
“It was agreed before the match, laughed Richarlison after the meeting.
Tite called me and asked me to teach him the dança do Pombo”.
The experienced coach, renowned for his almost European coldness, is determined to have a blast before leaving the Brazil bench after the World Cup.
He is not the only one.
With each pawn marked, the players invent a different dance.
Vinicius has no intention of quitting.
“I hope we will continue to dance until the final!
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It is better not to board too much against this team:
The Real Madrid striker has undoubtedly, in a burst of self-satisfaction, given a clue as to what should not be done against this Auriverde selection.
“Today [Monday], we faced a team that gave us space, and when we are given space, it's complicated for the opponents.
Josko Gvardiol takes note.
Croatia has an interest in recovering well
: In their misfortune, the Croats will have four days to recover from the 120 minutes + a penalty session that the qualification against Japan will have cost.
Four days spent in the massage room, on a bicycle, in cryotherapy and in the nap room.
Because opposite, the Brazilians are fresh as roaches.
They can thank Grandpa Alves and Weverton for that.
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