World Cup 2022: Strange departure from Brazil’s coach before penalties

As of 9:36 p.m| Reading time: 3 minutes

Et was a scene that should play a role in the upcoming coming to terms with the Brazilians. After the late equalizer from Croatia’s Bruno Petkovic (117th) to make it 1-1, which allowed the outsider to force a penalty shoot-out, all eyes were on Brazil’s coach Tite in this World Cup quarter-finals.

The 61-year-old “professor”, as he is called in the country of the record world champion, would have been in demand. In moments like these, the coach is something of a fixed star. He must be a psychologist: Who can be trusted to keep their nerves in a penalty shoot-out? He has to be an observer: who looks fit enough to still be mentally strong? And he has to be a listener: How are the players’ statements to be interpreted, who can I put the burden of the shot on?

But Tite withdrew from it. When the Brazilian squad got together to name the five players who have to walk to the penalty spot, he walked away. Sat down on the substitutes’ bench, let the star ensemble and his assistants decide who should be chosen.

“That will not do. He belongs in the circle of players, not on the bench. He’s the boss, he has to decide who shoots,” said former Bundesliga star and Brazilian international Naldo, who was an expert in the studio at Magenta and watched the TV pictures of Tite’s remarkable departure to the bench with some disbelief.

Rodrygo misses, Marquinhos hits the post

It was not clear what prompted Tite to do this. Whether everything was clarified from his point of view or whether he deliberately wanted to transfer the responsibility to the players completely in such a complicated phase of the game. The fact is, it went terribly wrong.

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Previously, after a 0-0 draw in regular time, Neymar seemingly shot the Brazilians into the semifinals with his goal in extra time (105th minute +1). But Petkovic’s goal tore the favorites out of all their dreams – and then expanded to a traumatic end. As in the round of 16 against Japan, Croatia’s outstanding goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic became the savior for his team and saved a penalty from Rodrygo. In addition, Marquinhos hit the post in the decisive penalty.

As a result, Neymar didn’t get a chance at all, which raised the question among some experts why he of all people should have taken the fifth penalty and didn’t take the first straight away. He, the safe shooter – and not Rodrygo, who did not pose too many problems for Livakovic with his moderate attempt. Four of the last five world championships were over for the Seleção in this round, the last time they took part in the final dates back to 2002. But another coach will have to do the build-up work, because it was decided months ago that Tite would say goodbye after the World Cup thing – regardless of the outcome of the World Cup.

After the end, he also rejected sole responsibility for the failure. “I understand that I bear the primary responsibility, I’m not a hypocrite. But I’m not solely responsible, we are all responsible,” he said. In 2018 in Russia he and his team also failed in the quarterfinals, at that time against Belgium. In 2019, Tite won the Copa América with the Brazilians, and the dream of a world title was shattered again. “I respect the result,” he said, dismayed.

Tite defended the decision to have superstar Neymar only as the fifth penalty taker. “Because the fifth is crucial, that’s where the pressure is greatest,” he explained. Tite also contradicted a journalist that his team lacked orientation when conceding a goal: “I can’t agree that we were disorganized.”