‘THE SAVIOUR!’ Will Neymar rescue Brazil’s World Cup qualifying campaign? | ESPN FC

all right we turn our attention now to South America of course uh big conball qualifiers on Tuesday perhaps the biggest Argentina and Columbia meeting in barania game Colombia ends up winning 2 to one as they sit second just two points behind the defending Champions who are currently at the top of the table the other big result and I think fairly surprising was Brazil's one- nothing loss against parai Brazil right now fifth in the conal table here's what venicius Jr had to say after the defeat quote we apologize to the fans who are always on our side but this is a difficult time we just want to improve I know my potential I know what I can do for the national team of course it's been a very difficult process because when you don't have confidence you don't get goals you don't get assists and good performances it's completely different than playing for Real Madrid games in Europe are different the ball gets from one side of the pitch to the other faster we have to know how to adapt so that everyone plays better so that we can win games names all right for more on what vishas Jr had to say in Brazil struggles we welcome into the show our good friend and colleague Gustavo Hoffman who joins us from Spain if he seems a little bit distracted it's not because it's the middle of the night it's because he's a huge Buffalo Bills fan and I know he's got the Bills game on another screen there in his room he's suffering in silence who are they playing the Miami Dolphins the Miami Dolphins there we we got a rival there the big bitter Rivals all right so go bills uh we'll talk about the bills on another edition of the show Gustavo what's been the reaction not just to Brazil's bad performance against Paraguay but specifically to the comments there from vny Jr back in Brazil first of fall gold bills and now it's always a pleasure to be here with you guys well another another match that Brazil has struggled Brazil has has been has been playing so poorly so badly in the last weeks in the last month H even even in the win even the win when Brazil beat Ecuador by one0 Brazil didn't play well so after this this this the last two matchs with Brazil playing so poorly and the crit the the critics in Brazil has been so high about Venus well what what I what I think that we have to say is that Brazil collectively is not playing so well Brazil Brazil is suffering a lot to defend to attack to attack with the players connecting themselves and we have seen H the the absence of Neymar Neymar is out of Brazil squad has been a long time but Brazil has so many quality players and what I have to ask is why don't these players play well in Brazil because we see we watch venicius every week every every weekend uh Playing For Real Madrid Rodrigo Danilo for Juventus and so many players playing well in the Premier League like Lucas paketa for wesam H and when they go to play for Brazil we don't see a team we we always see a a group of talented players that when they are together with Brazil nowadays we don't have a good team and the lack of confidence for me it's so evident now because the pressure is also so high over these players and the main problem in my opinion is also the technical staff where is we have to talk about doal Jr because I think you will remember when he was hired when we talking about him here and I always said he's a national manager he's not an international manager for example like acio Po poino who's gonna manage the United States now dorival is a very known manager in Brazil he had some good jobs in Brazil but he's not an international manager and he he he's he's struggling actually he's struggling to understand how to work with a team like Brazil you and we have seen the results what do you think Dude any chance that they miss the World Cup I know that really no cuz any other te you know I know but but they're fifth right now if you drop to seventh you're in the playoff and probably in a playoff they're going to roll whoever they play but I mean there's some quality teams in South America if they're struggling South America yeah but but we see if you struggle against the likes of a Paraguay who didn't impress us at all really in AA you're going to struggle against most of the teams in South America like I don't think we can take for granted that Brazil's just going to like figure this out because any any time that that a big team fails to qualify for a World Cup it always starts like this they'll turn it around they'll turn it around and eventually you know those teams don't right you're say you're you're sure that this Brazil is going to turn it around I believe so I believe so because of the games they have a home and also because it's an expanded field and there's playoffs and and I think they've got they're one point ahead of Bolivia right now yeah one point ahead of Bolivia yeah they'll be fine they'll be fine got enough Talent there I think it is mental as Gustavo has mentioned and I don't think dor valal Jr is is doing this team any favors when he spouts out at the mouth of they're going to be in the 2026 World Cup final all you're doing is adding more pressure to Rodrigo who has more pressure to himself they're just saying you know he's upset he's not one of the best 30 players or nominated for the Balon deor or Vinnie Jr who who seems more interested in other things or or angering the opponent than he does actually playing well for Brazil this Brazilian team is not as talented as the Brazilian teams of the past but they are more talented than half of the teams in South America just on player Personnel individually the problem is bag is a difficult team to play against with Gustavo Alfaro they're going to be a more difficult team to play against they were already very good defensively they just couldn't put the ball in the back of the net that was their MO very defensively well structured team makes it very difficult for teams to play against but they can't put the ball in the net they put the ball in the net and spectacular fashion Diego Gomez probably will never score another goal like that in his life and I don't mean to disrespect it it's just one of those worldly type goals it was a luuka modc type of goal Vinnie Jr I think is frustrated why is he frustrated because he sees that he can do this day in day out with Real Madrid but he cannot with the Brazilian national team now that is circumstantial the fields you play on higher grasses altitude different different types of climates uh also the Personnel you have around you I'm sure in his time when he was steamrolling through La Liga and champions league players and Defenders he had Tony Cross servicing he had Luka Modric there you have valver next to you you have now an mbappe you have Rodrigo who who seem like the Rodrigo who would of old who would come up and clutch moments you don't have that Personnel you've got Lucas paketa who's I think a very serviceable player but by no means is he Neymar you are missing that magical player you're missing what Neymar can offer you neyar today today Gustavo you can you can attest to this he stopped playing in October of 2023 through that ACL injury till this day nobody innio has more assisted him in World Cup qualifying he is still the top dog you look at International Football nobody in the history of the game has had more assists he's the leading goal scorer of the Brazilian national team a national team that's had players like P Romario Ronaldo Ronaldinho Kaka and it's Neymar so when you have all these things going against you with the limited Personnel you have already and the one special player you know can help you is on the men not on the field you're going to struggle and then Doral Jr I go back to him it'd be so much easier if you had an experienced International coach who's been there and done that yeah Gustavo uh one what did you make of the comments from doal Jr that they're going to be in the final come 2026 and are you at all worried unlike herk um about this team qualifying for the next World Cup well about what D junor said for me it was unbelievable because you you hear Doral saying oh we're going to be in the World Cup final and then we watch the games and say what really do you really think that we're going to go we're going to the finals with this team playing like this it was H for me it put like like er said it put more pressure over the players and over him also H now now in CBF they are not talking about a change but for me his job is not safe his job is not safe because Brazil will play against Chile away and Peru at home in the next two matchs if Brazil doesn't win or if Brazil wins only one match the pressure will will still be high so let's see what's going to happen I don't think I really don't think that Brazil will miss the World Cup H like like ery said also this is not the most talented team that Brazil has ever had but is still more Talent than Paraguay than Chile then Bolivia then Peru so I think that some change will will have to happen over in this squad in this squad H if doal stays in the job he has to find solutions to to make players play much better to have more Connections in the field and Neymar will be back for sure Neymar will be back the problem here is uh of course course that Brazil is missing Neymar but when he come backs he cannot be the savior because you're going to have more pressure not not only over him but over the team also he cannot be the Savior and this is the problem when he comes back he should be he should be back in a team that is already playing well when where he would just be one more piece the most talented piece in this team and he would help this team but now everybody's looking to Neymar like he's going to save Brazil and we one year ago more like two years ago in the World Cup we were saying and there were many many CRS in Brazil about Neymar dependence and now we're already waiting here him again to be the savior [Music]