Brazil Victory Highlights Weaknesses

Brazil overcame Ivory Coast in their group G clash to secure safe passage into the round of 16. However Dunga will be left livid after the reaction of Kaka who got himself sent off for an off-the-ball altercation with Kader Keita. Of course it is not the Brazilian's lack of discipline that is the issue here, as his dismissal highlights some cracks in Dunga's side.

Dunga's Brazil have been the sensation of the tournament so far, and deservedly so. The team is solid in defense, quick on the break, and lethal in front of goal. However all this is made possible through the work of a single player. The Brazil team's play is very much centered on the playmaking ability of Kaka. Everything runs through him, as he is the link between the defense and the offense. With Kaka, missing due to his red card suspension, we might see a much more imbalanced Brazil side in the upcoming game. This is further compounded by the injury to Elano, who could have deputized for the Real Madrid ace. The immediate thought will be to play Robinho through the middle, but past experiments of this have shown that he is a player who far more enjoys playing on the wing. Consequently, we will probably be seeing Nilmar in that spot, as he has done so in many of his substitute appearances for Brazil.

Of course Nilmar is a striker and thus will be made to play a most unorthodox position. This will result in a possible lack of cohesion and fluidity in Brazil's game. In effect the play might be split in two halves: the defending half, extending from the Julio Cesar and the two defensive midfielders, and the attacking half extending from Nilmar all the way up to Fabiano. Thus if the Portuguese midfield is able to recognize this, they might be able to starve Brazil's forwards of service throughout large portions of the game and thus limit their chances on goal.

An alternative to this scenario is of course a stellar performance from Robinho. He can and indeed will have to shoulder the playmaking responsibilities in the absence of Kaka. Robinho was very bright during the first game against North Korea but drifted out of the game against Ivory Coast. This inconsistency could prove problematic for Brazil. Indeed with their entire play so heavily focused on Kaka, opposition could very easily focus their defense on the Real Madrid playmaker and effectively seal off most of Brazil's attacking threat. Thus Robinho needs to be at his best throughout this tournament to help counter-balance this.

What this shows more importantly is that all the clamor for the inclusion Ronaldinho in Dunga's side were not completely unfounded. The AC Milan ace could have offered Dunga the type of playmaker the side lacks in the absence of Kaka. Indeed Ronaldinho could have at least made for a good substitute to bring off the bench, and on his performance this season, we could make a case that he had deserved at least that much. Dunga opted to stand by his decision however, and in very much the same manner that Fabio Capello had snubbed Michael Owen from his England squad, left out Ronaldinho. The absence of Kaka will certainly be felt, but Brazil, if they are true contenders, will have to learn to do without when the time calls. After all in a team full of such attacking talent, they should certainly be able to cope with the absence of their gifted playmaker.