Tite’s List
After the end of every World Cup there is growing expectation among the fans about the future of their national team. Who will be the new characters of the cycle that is starting? Precisely for this reason, the first post-world summons has a very strong character of renewal. Let’s discuss a few things about that.
Of course the time is for renewal, but that does not mean that the list should bring together all the talented and promising youngsters possible. It’s a new cycle, but you still have to think about the short, medium and long term. By 2022 Brazil will have played other competitions, and no matter what planning discourse the CBF has used to keep Tite in office, if Brazil is unsuccessful, Tite is in danger of being sent away.
That’s why we need to build a strong collective right now, and why this is not just about piling up young talent. I have no doubts about the talent of Arthur and Paquetá, but none of them understands Tite’s system and there are preferred ones like Renato Augusto. The presence of experienced figures, exchanging experiences with young people, is essential.
The case of Filipe Luís is similar. Alex Sandro is prepared, very good at European level already, but he does not have as much contact as Filipe with the Brazilian game system. Fagner and Felipe know all the nuances of the game of Tite; the second being released and stoned by the coach.
The coach was also criticized for failing to call any of the young people on the rise in Europe: Malcon, Richarlison and David Neres. There are questions whether these players deserved to be summoned more than Everton from Grêmio, for example.
This question of merit is delicate. All of the above players are great and would have total conditions to represent Brazil. There are few slots to fill and saying that one deserves it more than another borders on cowardice. An absence on this first list does not mean an absence in the cycle as a whole. If Tite has chosen Everton, it is because he feels more tempted to watch the young tricolor closely, and that does not diminish the talent of his competitors.
Call ups are very personal and involve a number of factors. There will always be disagreements, but Tite’s first move to 2022 seems to be truly consistent.
