Upset as Brazil Exits World Cup 2022
Viewers around the world were left shocked last Friday when Brazil — the World Cup 2022 favorite to win — was knocked out by Croatia. Brazil’s team has always had significant support, not only from its own country but internationally, having made a reputation for itself on the world stage. However, the supreme confidence of its supporters was not enough to bring it to the semi-finals this year.
2022 World Cup favorites Brazil have been knocked out by Croatia in an upsetting quarter-finals loss. Emilio Garcia/Unsplash
What led to Brazil’s upsetting loss at the World Cup?
What made Friday’s loss particularly disappointing is how close Brazil was to clinching its victory. The team was ahead 1-0 up until close to the final whistle of the game. Neymar, Brazil’s star and one of the top players worldwide, scored the first goal of the match during extra time, after both teams were locked in a tie for most of the game.
With just three minutes left, Croatia managed to score, bringing the tally to 1-1 and allowing the game to go into a penalty round. During the shoot-off, Brazil managed two goals, but Croatia beat them easily with four. It is a second stunning upset of the tournament after another favorite, Spain, was ousted by underdog Morocco.
What followed was an emotional processing of the results. Croatia celebrated another quarter-final win. The team is hoping to have a chance to enter the finals again after its exciting, but ultimately disappointing try in the 2018 World Cup when it lost to France. Meanwhile, the Brazilian team was clearly devastated by the loss.
Brazil’s national team, composed of new talent as well as experienced players like Neymar, was surprising given the amount of support they had this year. From a betting standpoint, Brazilians had surpassed all LATAM countries in betting on the games this year; likely, many were rooting for their home team.
In another way, the loss follows a string of disappointments over the last World Cup tournaments for the team. In 2018, they were also taken out in the quarter-final. In 2014, they reached the semi-final but ultimately lost to Germany. Neymar has played in all three of these tournaments, suffering their losses.
Unfortunately each tournament has come with injuries for the key player. Neymar was deemed too young to play in 2010’s World Cup in South Africa. In 2014, a significant injury during the quarter-final meant he could not be in the semi-final, when the team fell apart against Germany.
2018 was also a difficult year, when he sprained his ankle in Russia. Despite a valiant effort to play with his injury, the team could not sustain their momentum through the quarter-finals. This year, Neymar also hurt himself at the start of the tournament and had to sit out two games, recovering in time for the match with South Korea.
What’s next for the Brazilian men’s national team?
It is hard to say what the next World Cup tournament will hold for Brazil, given that there are so many moving parts to the team following this extraordinary loss. Neymar does not know yet if he will play in the next tournament, at which point he will be 34 with a host of past injuries to overcome.
Coach Tite is leaving the job after this year. Tite was also criticized for his behavior during the losing match, when he left to the dressing room after giving some last feedback to his players rather than stay on for the shoot-out. It is possible that the team will recruit its first European coach in recent history, but it is still uncertain. Managers from both Portugal and Spain are in the mix at the moment.
What is certain is that Brazil’s team will continue to boast impressive talent, with players like 16-year-old Endrick on the rise, as well as Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, Eder Militao and Vinicius Jr. Gabriel and Antony Martinelli and Bruno Guimaraes, who all currently play in the Premier League, are also not to be forgotten.
The World Cup continues with semi-finals Tuesday and Wednesday this week. The final match — which will occur between a possible combination of Argentina, Croatia, France and Morocco — is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 17.
