Brazil had a double victory in the international break and while some players like Richarlison continued to shine, others should just quit straight away
WINNERS
Richarlison (Everton)
Richarlison took advantage of Neymar’s injury to steal the spotlight against Cameroon, where the Everton man scored the match’s only goal, offering his country the winner from a well-placed header, marking his third goal for the national team. By far, the biggest winner of this international round.
Walace (Hannover)
From a key player in the Olympic games in Rio, to a regular starter in the Bundesliga, it was about time that Walace got his first real opportunity with the national team. Against Uruguay, the Brazilian was rock solid and did not allow anyone past him. He proved that he has the same characteristics as the more experienced Casemiro – useful cover for the Real Madrid man.
Arthur Melo (FC Barcelona)
There is no doubt that Arthur is currently considered a key player for both Brazil and Barcelona.
In the last two matches against Uruguay and Cameroon, Arthur was Brazil’s most important midfielder, organizing plays from a deep role and managing to maintain possession thanks to his calmness on the ball, to allow his team to control the tempo of the game. Right now, it is impossible to imagine Tite’s squad without the rising midfield-sensation.
Allan (Napoli)
Allan has been one of the very best central midfielders in Serie A for the past three years, and was reportedly close to representing Italy’s national team. Luckily for Brazil fans, Tite intervened at the right moment and gave him a shot. The Napoli-man certainly justified his hype, with a game-changing second-half appearance against Uruguay followed by a strong display against Cameroon in his first ever start for Brazil – where he managed to outshine his direct competitor Paulinho, in a game where both started together.
https://twitter.com/BrazilStat/status/1063822483688775681
LOSERS
Paulinho (Guangzhou Evergrande)
Outshone by Allan against Cameroon, the Chinese Super League star failed to make any impact, looked heavy on the ball and was unable to provide the team with any quality. This may well have signaled Paulinho’s last start for Brazil, now that he is clearly being bettered by the likes of Allan, Arthur and Philippe Coutinho.
Renato Augusto (Beijing Guoan)
Despite his experience and his important goal against Belgium in the World Cup, as is Paulinho’s case, it just seems that Renato is no longer capable of delivering for Brazil, what other, young talents, cannot provide.
The rise of options in the midfield sector means that his services are no longer needed. In the best case scenario for the Chinese league duo, Tite could only take just one of the pair to Copa América, for experience and locker room authority, in what would definitely be their last ever tournament for the national side.
Willian (Chelsea)
Very poor for Chelsea and criticized by their supporters on a regular basis, Willian isn’t getting any empathy from Brazil fans following his awful World Cup displays in Russia. His performance against Cameroon where he offered nothing, is just another reminder why he is no longer needed by the Seleção.
