We can expect to see a lot from Brazil at the World Cup. 0:58
When all the talk about Brazil's World Cup squad had stopped, a local journalist made an astute observation. He said there was not much to argue about if the most controversial aspect was the reserve right back.
He was talking about the 39-year-old man. Thiago Silva, who is just a year and a few months older, is likely to start in Brazil's World Cup opener against Serbia in November.
The Brazil coaching staff would have been surprised by this. They had to plan for the future. Eder Militao was to be the long-term replacement for Thiago Silva. There was no need for immediate change, but the transition would be handled slowly over the next four years.
The progress that Militao has made is better than they had anticipated. It's true that he can make mistakes, but his recovery speed often comes to the rescue and that's important for a side that wants to push high up the field. Brazil's most important centre-back since Russia, Marquinhos, was partnered by Militao in six of the World Cup qualification matches. Brazil didn't allow a goal in all of the games.
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The man is ready for action. Thiago Silva is expected to start. Brazil's coaching staff have been amazed at his fitness, his ability to cover ground at pace if needed, and his ability to read the game and position himself in such a way that such sprints are rarely needed. Thiago Silva is a likely member of Brazil's first-choice line up for one last chance to win the World Cup.
It isn't a competition that has helped him. He was a reserve when he was promoted to captain four years later. The pressures of playing a World Cup on home soil seem to have been too much for the defender. He confessed before the tournament that he was having sleepless nights thinking about what was to come, not the most inspiring message to come from a team leader, and when the competition got tough, Thiago Silva produced one of the all-time greats.
He should have been leading the troops and getting ready to take a kick when he got the chance. He squatted on a football and cried. It is an image which makes the 7-1 collapse against Germany easier to comprehend. Thiago Silva was suspended for the game because he picked up a yellow card for trying to stop the opposing goalkeeper from clearing the ball.
When Brazil responded to the humiliation with a new coach, it didn't help his cause. Dunga was appalled by the way that Thiago Silva had carried out his role as Brazil's World Cup winning captain. He did not cover himself in glory when he was left on the bench, but he was able to return to his place in time for the Copa America.
After the game had finished, Thiago Silva conceded a penalty which was converted by the team and they went on to win the match. He was put back on the bench by Dunga and was replaced by the rugged Miranda and the young Marquinhos.
When coach Tite took over in the second half of 2016 he kept the centre-back partnership that he had when he first took over. The coach changed his mind on the eve of the tournament. Marquinhos was left on the bench because he had to find a spot for Thiago Silva.
The coach would most likely admit that he made a mistake. Not that Thiago Silva did anything wrong, but it was asking for trouble to drop his fastest defender, and the team paid a price when they were surprised by Belgium. Thiago Silva has to fight for the right to play with Marquinhos, who has never been left out again.
He has a defensive class, but there is a chance that he will be the one to lose in the upcoming tournament. In the middle of a back three, Thiago Silva has excelled, marshalling the defence from the middle, with either side reducing the space he has to cover. Thiago Silva is covering more ground for the English team than he is for the Brazilians. This is true, but it may not apply in the World Cup where Brazil play a 4-3-3 -- or at least in the knockout stages, where the team's defensive unit will be tested a lot more.
Is playing in the middle of a back three affecting Thiago Silva's ability to cover the flank? The space between him and the left back is where Argentina scored the goal that won last year'sCopa America and gave Brazil their last defeat. Will the high press work with the older man? He might give himself an insurance policy if he dropped a few yards deeper.
These are interesting questions. As Brazil look to end their 20-year wait to win a World Cup, and as Thiago Silva looks to get over his tournament demons, the truth will be revealed.
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