Tite Takes the Plaudits

In the space of a few months, the former Corinthians coach has turned around the fortunes of the national side.

- Tim Vickery

Towards the end of Brazil’s 3-0 win over Argentina, the crowd in Belo Horizonte broke into song, and Eduardo Tironi of the sports daily Lance!, wrote of the occasion: “The exhibition against our biggest rival turned into such a massacre that the fans were chanting the name of...Tite.”

By Brazilian standards this is rare indeed. Success is seen as the merit of the individual flair of the players, while the coach usually comes in for special attention only when someone is blamed for disappointments. This case is different. As Tironi continued: “It was a recognition of the importance of the man who found a group in pieces, and in a short period of time has given the team a pattern and made them competitive.”

This time it really is impossible to overlook the achievement of the coach.

Under predecessor Dunga, Brazil had been knocked out of the Copa Centenario in the group phase and, a third of the way through the marathon World Cup qualification campaign, were down in sixth place and in serious danger of missing out on Russia 2018. The next third of the campaign would be squeezed into two and-a-half months, between the start of September and mid-November.

The incoming Tite would have next to no time on the training ground and there were some difficult matches ahead. And yet, six games later, Brazil have already all but qualified.

In the past, 28 points were always good enough to ensure automatic qualification and, after six straight wins, and with another six games to come, Brazil have 27.

They can already start planning for Russia. And with the style and swagger they displayed in those six games – 17 goals scored, only one (an own goal) conceded – Tite’s Brazil are entitled to head for the World Cup finals in the hope and expectation of mounting a serious challenge.