Brazil make a meal of Group E opener.

Tonight we have witnessed the 4/1 World Cup favourites Brazil, open their group E campaign but the Swiss made it hard to watch.

The result

After taking a large chunk of early possession the lead came as no surprise. Philip Coutinho slotted home in a way only he knows how. Switzerland battled hard to bring themselves back into the game and eventually earn an equaliser when Zuber headed home from close range.

The game would finish 1-1, Brazil deflated and the Swiss on cloud nine.

The Swiss had a plan 

Pre-game, the Swiss team would have done plenty of homework. It came as no surprise that Neymar was to be man marked for an entire 90 minutes. This job is easier said than done but Valon Behrami handled it perfectly. The key when given this type of role is to avoid the early booking, but in tern make your presence known. For this outstanding performance Behrami is a my man of the match.

Many thought that Switzerland would sit back and attempt to soak up endless pressure from Brazil. I was pleasantly surprised when they came out and took the game to Brazil.

Brazil lacked cutting edge 

The footballing talent that Brazil posses is unparalleled, tonight they didn’t click. Star man Neymar would be the focal point of any side but everything had to go through him and I feel that stunted the flow on occasions.

I can take nothing away from Philip Coutinho, his goal is proof of his worth. Coutinho scores this goal so regally and everyone is aware of it, however no one has worked out how to stop it. He could prove to be a vital player in the side, should Brazil progress.

Earlier in the day the competition second favourites Germany put in a lack lustre performance. This should have been plenty of motivation for the Brazil side to grab the tournament by the horns and assert dominance.

Fix up Look sharp

Going forward, Tite is going to have to re-evaluate. Brazil must have a plan B going into their next game. Clearly talented enough to break down any team on their day, the changes are tactical.

Now I am far from a professional manager but as you made it this far down the article, I’m going to give you my humble opinion. Brazil lacked a player in the final third, that could hold the ball up and allow others to join the attack. If the killer pass or the mazy run didn’t come off then it was back to the drawing board. In a side that has so many goal scoring options in midfield, holding the ball up and allowing them to join the attack is imperative.

Overall its clear that Brazil must improve on this performance. I am confident they will and I still have them down to go all the way.

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