Brazilian Football:⁢ A Kingdom in Disarray

Fascinated by the creativity and‌ beauty of Brazilian football, Hiroaki Sawada traveled to ​Sao Paulo to‍ explore the current state of the “Kingdom.” Over the past year, he has watched numerous games, interviewed players and coaches, ‌and ‍now shares his insights on the⁤ sport.

A Sad ⁢State of Affairs Unbecoming of the Glorious Kingdom of Football

On ​September⁣ 6th, Brazil beat Ecuador 1-0 at home, moving up​ from 6th to 4th ‍out of the 10 participating countries. However, on the​ 10th, they lost 1-0 away to ‌Paraguay. As of the ⁢end ⁣of the 8th round‌ (18 rounds in​ total), their overall record ‍is 3 ‌wins, 1 draw, 4 losses, 9⁣ goals scored, 8 conceded, placing them in 5th place.

The formation‍ for both matches was 4-2-3-1, with Neymar (Al Hilal)​ absent due to a left knee injury. The starting line-up for the Ecuador match was Luis Enrique (Botafogo), who⁤ was called up for the ⁤first time,‌ Lucas Paqueta (West⁢ Ham), and​ Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid) in ‍the second row from ⁤the right, with Rodrigo (Real Madrid) at center back.

Meet the Author

Hiroaki Sawada

He watched⁢ the entire 1986 World Cup in Mexico ‍and his outlook on life changed. Fascinated by Brazilian football,​ he moved to Sao Paulo at the end of⁣ 1986 and has ⁤been watching Brazilian and South American football ever since.‌ His books include “The Tragedy of ⁤Maracanã” (Shinchosha) and “Passionate Brazilian Soccer” (Heibonsha Shinsho).