Brazil international Tite has refused to take up an offer to coach the World Cup champions until after their upcoming friendly against Croatia in London. The former Corinthians manager’s decision is sure to help boost young Vinicius Junior, who will be starting for Brazil in the game.
The “real madrid squad for next season” is a topic that has been on the minds of football fans around the world. The most interesting part about this story is how it will affect Vinicius Junior’s career.
For the first time since the epidemic, media were present when Brazil called out their roster for this month’s World Cup qualifiers on Friday. When coach Tite finished reading his list, there was an audible gasp in the hall. Vinicius Junior, who has had such an excellent start to the season with Real Madrid, will not be included in the 23-man team.
Tite is clearly enamored with Raphinha of Leeds United, who had such a big effect on the right flank at last month’s FIFA dates. And on the left flank, where Vinicius plays the most, the coach made it obvious that two players are ahead of Vinicius in the line for this last call up. Lucas Paqueta is a more productive choice for balancing the side with a winger on one side and a more complete offensive midfielder on the other. Antony of Ajax, who had a strong Olympic performance and also fared well off the bench last month, has Tite interested in giving him another try.
As a result, Vinicius has been overlooked.
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The funny part is that there are spots available for this call up. Tite has opted not to call up any locally based players as the Brazilian Championship approaches its conclusion and the Copa Libertadores final is set to be an all-Brazilian affair at the end of the month.
In fact, the need of making this choice may have come as a relief. More athletes who earn their livelihood in Brazil are constantly under criticism from populists. When Brazil has been led down this route in previous years, it has often gone badly, and without the entrance of Raphinha, it may have resulted in a devastating loss to Venezuela.
As a result, there are a few open spots. Flamengo offensive midfielder Everton Ribeiro gave up one of them, and it was used to recall an old Tite favorite, Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho.
This may have raised a few eyebrows in Madrid, where Real’s Rodrygo might argue that his arguments were stronger, particularly following the El Clasico. Rodrygo, however, who was greeted with such zeal by the Brazil coaching staff in 2019, has since been left out in the cold.
He has obviously not yet earned the coach’s trust. It must have been exasperating for him to be on the bench for the last game, against Uruguay, when his side was playing brilliantly and had created a comfortable lead, forcing Uruguay, who had a sluggish pair of centre-backs, to open up and chase the game. His explosive pace on the counter-attack was included into the game, but others were given the nod.
Back in Madrid, Vinicius has been making his case on the field, where it counts the most. His finishing is a flaw in his game, according to some critics. It’s not surprise that this is a criticism. It’s difficult to balance speed and accuracy, and Vinicius may discover more gears to transport him away from his target while he’s in full flight. He is, however, definitely progressing, as seen by his ability to hold his head steady and better choose his place. This season has already been his finest goal-scoring season in his short career. And he made the most of his international ban by scoring both goals that lifted Real Madrid to the top of LaLiga against Elche over the weekend.
It’s difficult to imagine another young Brazilian having the similar impression on top-flight European club football right now. Vinicius’ omission from the national squad will seem to be a strange injustice if he can sustain this level. And he’ll have another chance on Wednesday, when Real plays Shakhtar Donetsk in a crucial Champions League match. For Tite, Vinicius’ exclusion is a temporary humiliation that might turn into a long-term solution if the player can effectively integrate into the national squad.
The Ukrainian defense will have to catch the wind on Wednesday night, which will be a short-term challenge.
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- players leaving real madrid