Darival Junior took over as Brazil’s coach on January 8. In the 317 days since, under his leadership, Brazil has played 14 matches, recording 6 wins, 2 losses, and 7 draws. One of those draws came on July 2 in the Copa América quarterfinal against Uruguay, where after a goalless draw, Brazil was eliminated in the penalty shootout.
Some might jokingly refer to the Brazil coach as “Draw-rival” or even “Draw-ival,” given that half of his matches have ended in draws. In Brazilian football, where winning is the ultimate goal, such a nickname might not be far from the truth. After all, in the World Cup qualifiers this month, Brazil drew both matches 1-1, against Venezuela and Uruguay. As a result, Brazil ended the year in fifth place in South America’s qualifying table, just one spot below the direct qualification zone. The top six teams from South America will secure a direct spot in the World Cup, with the seventh place team going into the playoffs.
“Results are everything to Brazilians. I know that. My career in clubs has been the same,” said Brazil coach Darival Junior during a press conference.
Although there are no immediate concerns about Brazil’s qualification, finishing the year a step lower than expected might be disappointing for some supporters. However, Darival is not one to dwell on setbacks. He sees progress in the team’s performance.
After sharing the points with Uruguay, Darival said at a press conference, “We are on the right path. I see improvement in every player’s performance. In the last two matches, we played well. With a little more luck, we could have finished second. I believe a lot has changed, and we’re on the right track. We want results, and we’re very close to achieving them.”
Darival also acknowledged that he hasn’t yet found Brazil’s ideal lineup, saying, “We need patience to find the right team that will give the supporters more confidence.”
With almost a year of coaching under his belt, the question of whether he can settle on a final squad or return Brazil to its traditional rhythm of play has arisen. After another round of draws, the future of his job has been questioned. Responding to this, Darival shifted the responsibility, saying, “I think the football director and the president of CBF would be better placed to answer that. Results matter most to Brazilians, and I understand that. I’ve lived through it at the club level.”
During Brazil’s match in Fonte Nova, the home fans showed their displeasure with boos at both halftime and fulltime. Darival explained, “That was definitely because of the result. The boos were much less after the first half. It’s natural not to get the result expected. The fans didn’t interfere in any way… Everywhere, we’ve received the fans’ love. We’re rebuilding confidence in the Brazil team.
