Brazilian National Team Focus on Set-Pieces to Win

06/20/2014 - 09h38

Unstable and unable to create many scoring opportunities, the Brazilian team invests in set-pieces–fouls, penalty kicks and corners–to win the upcoming decisive games of the World Cup.

Neymar, Daniel Alves and David Luiz have participated in specific training of free-kicks, which should be intensified from now on.

By focusing on set-pieces, Scolari tries to repeat what the national team has done at the 2002 World Cup, when nearly a third of the goals were originated from corners, fouls or penalties.

To reach the title that year, the national team scored two goals, one on a corner kick and the other two from penalty kicks.

Last year, when the team won the Confederations Cup, they performed worse than during the Asian World Cup. A quarter of goals resulted from set-pieces (3 out of 12 goals).

This World Cup, however, only one goal was scored from the penalty spot, kicked by Neymar.

The practices always happen after the group trainings, in Teresópolis. Luiz Felipe Scolari and Flavio Murtosa, his assistant, check closely all the shots.

Sometimes, they even stand in a wall of players to simulate a real match.

OPTIONS

In addition to the three free-kick experts, Marcelo, William and Bernard are also Scolari's options for free-kick shots.

According to the coach, his choice depends on where the free-kick was won. Yet, Neymar is the favorite and he's been showing good performance during the trainings.

Daniel Alves and David Luiz are better with long-range shots.

Although this squad has tall players like David Luiz, Luiz Gustavo and Fred, the team does not score goals on corner kicks.

Since he returned to the team, in 2012, Scolari has seen his players score only two goals on corner kicks.

"Especially in a decisive phase, when teams mark intensively, the game can be decided in set-pieces. This has made a difference in every competition", said the striker Fred.

Scolari also complains about the few kicks outside the penalty area.

"We ask [them for long-range shots], we train them. I must tell Murtosa every day to "stop". The player sometimes does not understand how to kick", said the Brazilian coach.

Translated by JULIANA CALDERARI

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