As the final whistle blew on Saturday's 0-0 draw between the Brazil National Team and Ecuador, boos began to ring down from fans all around the Rose Bowl. Brazil had been largely unimpressive and ineffective, punctuated only by occasional moments of magic that failed to produce anything of substance. For anyone hoping that Brazil could shake off the shackles of the 2014 World Cup and regain their spot at the top of world football, it was a depressing dose of reality.
What made matters worse for Brazilian fans was that the Brazil national team had actually started quite well. Willian looked threatening, Coutinho seemed to be at his creative best, and Jonas was causing havoc with his incessant and dangerous movement. However, they failed to capitalize on that early pressure and Ecuador only proved more solid as the game went on.
Thus, the pressure then fell on manager Dunga for inspiration, only for him to maintain the status quo. The Brazil manager made some uninspired substitutions that failed to really make a difference against the stubborn Ecuadorian blockade, and it appeared at times that Dunga really didn't have any answers. Instead, he gambled on the hope that a moment of individual brilliance could settle the game. One never came, and Brazil were lucky to escape Pasadena, California with a point.
Yet, it could have been so different if only Dunga had rethought his system. In Jonas Brazil have a great goalscorer in their ranks, but Dunga opted to replace him with Gabriel "Gabigol" Barbosa after an hour. Jonas had a sensational season with Benfica. The veteran scored 32 goals and racked up 14 assists in 34 appearances across all competitions, and there are many aspects to his game that suggest he can be the goalscorer that Brazil have been lacking for so long. However, he is not meant to play alone.
Jonas works better in a partnership like the one he has with Kostas Mitroglou at Benfica. Photo: @myBet9ja | Twitter
Most of Benfica's success this season came from the solid 4-4-2 formation that manager Rui Vitoria set up. Along with the rise of Renato Sanches in midfield, the striking partnership of Jonas with Konstantinos Mitroglou was nigh unstoppable. Mitroglou banked 20 goals and five assists on top of Jonas' contribution, which made them one of the most productive partnerships in Europe.
As you can see by some of his highlights, and indeed during Brazil's match against Ecuador, Jonas likes to drop deep to pick up the ball, sometimes even from behind the halfway line. At Benfica, he often operated just behind Mitroglou, using his excellent ball skills and vision to bring other teammates into play.
At Brazil however, Dunga's faltering false-nine system means that when Jonas goes wide or drops deep, there is nobody to fill in the space that he leaves behind. There were so many moments against Ecuador that saw Jonas pull defenders out of position with his intelligent movement, only to see every other Brazilian player hesitate and stop outside the penalty box. Indeed, the one time that Coutinho did charge into that space, he would have scored but for some good reactions by Ecuador's goalkeeper.
So, what's the solution? Well, it's pretty simple actually. Simply play two up top much like Benfica did this season. Granted, it's not exactly a tale from school to say that Brazil are light in the striker department but consider this: what would have happened if Gabigol and Jonas had played together?
Gabigol failed to make an impact when he came on the pitch, mostly because he was consistently crowded out and suffered from a lack of offensive outlets. Perhaps if Jonas was on as well, making clever runs and pulling defenders out of their comfort zones, he would have found more success.
Consider as well that Hulk was sat on the bench even though Brazil needed a goal. You may say that Hulk is more of a winger and that he has only 11 goals for Brazil in his international career so far. Both of these things are true, however Hulk has an impressive record in Russia from the center-forward position.
Per Transfermarkt, throughout his career, Hulk has scored 45 goals and set up 25 in 69 games when playing as a striker. This season, Hulk scored 3 goals and set up 7 assists in just 7 appearances as a striker for Zenit St. Petersburg. It seems only natural to try him and Jonas up front as a partnership.
Hulk is a player who could do well in tandem with Jonas. Photo: @billdamon | Twitter
After all, what's the worst that could happen? The plight of the Brazilian national team can't really get any worse from here. Dunga chose a young and relatively unfamiliar squad for the tournament, and therefore he needs to play to their strengths as much as possible. If the first 15 minutes of Brazil vs Ecuador is any indication, there is a talented team hiding somewhere in Brazil's roster and if Dunga is willing to be flexible, then he may be able to unlock their true potential. Brazilian fans will be hoping he can.
Follow me on Twitter @J_Hansen_89
