Rejuvenating Brazil’s Football Legacy Till Early 21st Century: Dorival’s Quest for Glory

It seems that Brazilian football’s lengthy sunset is coming to an end. Brazil played their first game under Dorival Jr. on Saturday at the legendary Wembley, ushering in a new era with a fantastic display against the Three Lions. It’s not simple to defeat England in England!

Brazil, the five-time World Cup champions, hasn’t been a major player in the international scene in a few decades. The last time Korea and Japan won a World Cup was nearly 22 years ago. They no longer have the same level of widespread support that they had during the Pele or Ronaldo era.

Then, for the past few years, the situation has gotten worse. They were the hosts and one of the top favorites to win the 2014 World Cup, but they lost 7-1 to eventual champions Germany in the semifinals. They failed to make it past the quarterfinals in the previous two tournaments.

For the first time since 1963, they lost more games than they won in the previous campaign. They drew one, won three, and lost five. And those victories came against weaker opposition (Peru, Bolivia, and Guinea). The losses to Senegal and Morocco stood out as the most embarrassing.

Dorival Jr. must have been under a lot of pressure to perform well against England on Saturday. Earlier this year, in January, he was given the position. He was the first full-time manager of Brazil since Tite resigned during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where their campaign was halted by a loss to Croatia in the round of eight.

It would have seemed natural to locate a replacement in that manner, but that isn’t how events ultimately turned out. Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was not hired by the Brazilian Football Confederation, and two interim managers, Ramon Menezes and Fernando Diniz, were tried out at separate times.

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Their president, Ednaldo Rodrigues, had confidently proclaimed in July of last year that Ancelotti would take up the position in front of the 2024 Copa America, so they were covered in egg. They ultimately decided on Dorival after deliberating for over a year.

His squad had an excellent game on Saturday. When teenage wonder Endrick scored a memorable 1-0 victory for the Selecao in the 80th minute, the international friendly looked to be headed to a draw. He entered the game as a substitute and, while on the field, some observers—more specifically, former England midfielder Joe Cole—thought he looked a lot like 1994 World Cup winner Romario.

He became the youngest male goal scorer at Wembley at the age of 17 years and 246 days. In addition, he became the youngest goal scorer for Brazil since 1994’s Ronaldo. When he played for the Selecao against Colombia in the World Cup qualifying tournament last November, he became the team’s youngest player since Ronaldo.

Given this uninspiring background, especially given the 2022 World Cup, it’s understandable that Dorival feels relieved to get off to a successful start. “It’s undeniably a truly unique occasion. A Brazil team has only triumphed in England on a few occasions, which speaks much about us. However, we must remember that this is only the beginning of our job,” the manager stated following the game.

Brazil now go to Spain for another friendly on March 27. It will be another big test for Dorival’s men. Although Spain, like them, is not the same team as they were in the 2000s and lost to Colombia on Saturday, they will present a formidable challenge because they are playing at home (the Santiago Bernabeu).

Following this, Brazil will play two friendlies in June, and then Copa America will begin. Dorival is hoping that the Selecao returns home with two significant victories. Without a doubt, the confidence these victories will provide them will revitalize them and help them return to their former greatness.