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).