In the intense quarterfinals of the Copa América, Brazil faced a heartbreaking elimination by penalties to Uruguay, losing 4-2. Brazil’s penalty shootout in the quarterfinals raised eyebrows over coach Dorival Júnior’s tactics.
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As the penalties neared, he handed control to his assistant, Lucas Silvestre. This decision stirred debate following Brazil’s loss.
Dorival later clarified his decision, calling attention to the extensive strategy discussions he had with the players. “We had been working on penalties since day one in Orlando, knowing it could come down to this,” he stated. Still, key players Éder Militão and Douglas Luiz missed their shots, and goalkeeper Alisson could only save one attempt.
Marquinhos stands by Dorival
Defender Marquinhos defended Coach Dorival, affirming his control and detailing why Silvestre led during the penalties. “Lucas understood the players’ form from practice. He made the decision,” Marquinhos said.
He insisted that Dorival’s position outside the player circle was tactical, not an avoidance of duty. “He wasn’t outside (the circle). I think he was behind it, right?. It’s just that the one who made the decision was Lucas, who was following the charges more in training and the one who was making the decision there in the middle of the circle was Lucas”
Brazil’s exit from the Copa América showed how tight the game can be and started talks about coaching tactics and making decisions under pressure. As Brazil looks back at this loss, the focus will be on learning from it to improve in future international matches.
