Winning streak continues for the Brazilians

When they sadly packed away their yellow shirts
last July, most Brazil fans must have thought that it
would be some time before they would be reaching
back into the wardrobe for that particular item.
The astonishing 7-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to
Germany was then followed by the reappointment of
the snarling Dunga as national team coach. Morale
was low.
Fast forward eight months, though, and the mood is
more upbeat. Sunday's 1-0 victory over Chile at the
Emirates Stadium in London means that Brazil have
now won eight consecutive matches.
Have Brazil won their prestige back?
The audience of Brazil's massive TV Globo would
seem to think so.
They were asked the question during Sunday's
game against Chile game, before Brazil had taken
the lead. In the online vote 63% answered in the
affirmative, won over by triumphs over
heavyweights such as Argentina and France.
The numbers since the World Cup are impressive:
eight games, eight wins, 18 goals scored and just
two conceded.
Brazil's results in Dunga's second spell as
coach
6 September: Beat
Colombia 1-0
10 September: Beat
Ecuador 1-0
11 October: Beat
Argentina 2-0
14 October: Beat
Japan 4-0
12 November: Beat
Turkey 4-0
18 November: Beat
Austria 2-1
26 March: Beat France
3-1
29 March: Beat Chile
1-0
The 7-1 World Cup semi-final
defeat was too much for one
Brazil supporter to take in a
fan park in Belo Horizonte
Dunga - captain of the 1994 World Cup winning side
- was previously in charge between 2006 and
Brazil's 2-1 defeat by the Netherlands at the
quarter-final stage of the 2010 World Cup. He is
often referred to as unloved but while the wins are
piling up, Dunga's sermons on the importance of
commitment are well received.
Of course, none of the eight victories has been on
home soil - Brazil will have to wait until the World
Cup qualification campaign starts in October before
that happens.
But after the experiences of last year, playing
thousands of miles from home has given Dunga
and his men some much needed breathing space.
The continuing rise of Neymar
At the tender age of 23, Neymar appears to have
completed the journey from promise to reality.
He, famously, was injured and did not play against
Germany in that semi-final thrashing - and the
team's collapse only underlined his importance to
the cause.
Dunga immediately recognised this and chose
Brazil's number 10 as his captain.
Brazil defeated Argentina 2-0
in Beijing in October to win
the Super Clasico de las
Americas
Some feared it had come too soon but the
Barcelona striker appears to have relished the
responsibility. Of the 18 goals Brazil have scored
since the World Cup, he has got eight.
And with the exception of two stoppage-time
substitutions he has played in every minute of
every game.
Before the move to Spain there was a fear that his
career had stalled, and that he might turn out to be
something of a rabbit killer, decisive against the
weaker teams but innocuous against the strong. He
has since convincingly proved - not least to himself
- that this is not the case.
Whether he operates high on the left or in a free role
across the attacking line, he is the man Brazil trust
to break the deadlock.
The emergence of key new players
Only nine of the Brazil squad for their latest round of
friendlies went to the World Cup, with the biggest
renewal taking place in attack.
Probably the most important new addition is centre
forward Roberto Firmino of German side
Hoffenheim, who was largely unknown to the local
public before his debut call-up late last year.
Roberto Firmino scored 16
times in the Bundesliga last
season for Hoffenheim
The 23-year-old came off the bench against
Austria in November to score a stunning late
winner, combined well with Oscar last Thursday to
set up the vital equaliser against France and, once
again off the bench, showed excellent movement
and a cool head to score the only goal against Chile
on Sunday.
Offering more mobility than World Cup centre
forward Fred, this is the biggest change to the
shape of the Brazil side that Dunga has made.
It is significant that Firmino's goal against Chile was
set up by a superb long pass from right back
Danilo. From Carlos Alberto to Cafu, Brazil have had
more spectacular players in this position than most
- but the Porto man is proving a splendid all-
rounder. He can join the attack as an element of
surprise, but his defensive skills are also sound -
he made a vital covering tackle on Karim Benzema
against France last Thursday.
Centre-back Miranda was perhaps the most
inexplicable omission from the World Cup squad.
He has been an ever-present since, at long last an
established member of the team. He has been
showing the type of no nonsense defending that has
been so important in Atletico Madrid's recent
success - and that was so lacking in the thrashing
by Germany.
And at the age of 32, keeper Jefferson of Botafogo
has been athletic and competent.
The big 'but' - how much has really changed?
There is now more mobility from the central striker,
but Brazil's basic approach is still very similar to
the one they showed last summer.
The great Tostao, 1970 legend and the wisest critic
in the Brazilian game, argues that "our football
declined when we stopped giving value to passing
the ball", and complains that it is more than two
decades since Brazil produced a world-class
central midfielder who could pass the ball.
Highlights: Brazil 1-7
Germany
Tostao, of course, was lucky enough to play with
Clodoaldo and Gerson in the engine room. Later
Brazil could boast Falcao and Toninho Cerezo in
their much-loved 1982 side. Nobody comparable
has emerged since.
The current side remains one which is happiest on
the counter-attack - and the 32 fouls they
committed against Chile (their opponents made 15)
reveal that the ugly aim of interrupting the flow of
the game remains intact.
It is a statistic that also shows just how seriously
Brazil are taking these friendlies. Against France
last week Dunga ensured there would be little flow
to the last 10 minutes by making five substitutions,
protecting his 3-1 lead as if it was a World Cup final.
Friendlies, though, are notoriously unreliable guides.
Brazil may have won their last eight matches, but
the record of Luiz Felipe Scolari's side going into
the World Cup was even better - nine straight wins,
30 scored, two conceded. When the real stuff
started, it all counted for nothing.
The first genuine test of Dunga's Brazil, then, is
coming up in the Copa America in Chile in just over
two months' time.
Looking good for the Copa America?
The Copa America is not easy to predict.
Of a field of 12, eight make it to through to the
knockout rounds, where drawn games go straight to
penalties after 90 minutes. Last time round, in 2011,
Paraguay went all the way to the final without
winning a single game.
The tournament is also used by many teams as a
training ground for the next set of World Cup
qualifiers, which get under way later this year.
Former Manchester United
striker Diego Forlan scored
twice as Uruguay won the
2011 Copa America
But the field looks strong for June's competition.
Hosts Chile have never won the competition, and
will be under pressure to put that right. They have
had some mixed results in friendlies at home - with
big wins against Peru and Venezuela but a draw
against Bolivia and a defeat by Uruguay.
In an explicit bid to avoid the kind of emotional
meltdown Brazil appeared to suffer last year, Chile
are now continuing their preparations by playing in
Europe.
Without a senior title since 1993, Argentina have a
generation desperate to get their hands on some
silverware. Coach Gerard Martino has a huge range
of attacking options with Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo
Higuain and Carlos Tevez all competing for one
place.
Reigning champions Uruguay have been conducting
a quietly successful rebuilding job and will not give
up their title without a fight. And then there is
Colombia, boosted by their best ever World Cup last
year and with a very interesting collection of
strikers and attacking midfielders.
In a 6-0 win over Bahrain, Radamel Falcao looked
sharp, scoring twice, while Real Madrid's James
Rodriguez is still to return from injury. Coach Jose
Pekerman said before the World Cup that 2014
would mark the moment when Colombia took a
place at the game's top table - and the Copa could
prove him right.
Colombia are in Brazil's group, and their meeting in
Santiago on 17 June promises to be one of the
highlights of the competition - and a true test for
Dunga's rebuilt Brazil.