Brazil’s 4-2 defeat to Senegal was a new low for a struggling team. And to make it worse, Argentina are on top of the world
By Tom Sanderson for the Guardian Sport Network
In order to avoid potential fallings out in Brazil, people are advised to refrain from discussing three subjects: religion, politics and football. One thing that everyone can surely agree on at the moment, though, is that the national team is struggling. The team usually gives a nation of vira-latas with an inherent inferiority complex a rare chance to boast superiority over the rest of the world – perhaps only matched at the height of Ayrton Senna’s powers, or by the people who believe that Alberto Santos-Dumont and not the Wright brothers invented the airplane – but watching the Seleção has been a dismal experience of late.
Brazil are expected to win every game, usually in style, so being knocked out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage and then losing two of their three games since Qatar – to Morocco and Senegal – simply won’t do. The truth is, though, this might be a long-overdue reality check.
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