Dorival Asserts Brazil is Advancing, Praises ‘Gem’ Joao Pedro

Brazil’s coach, Dorival Jr, remains optimistic about their progress, despite the team currently sitting in fifth place as they prepare for critical World Cup qualifying matches against Colombia and Peru.

The five-time World Cup champions have faced increasing scrutiny after securing just two victories in their last five fixtures, following a string of underwhelming displays.

In their most recent encounters, Brazil were held to consecutive 1-1 draws against Venezuela and Uruguay. However, Dorival believes they can regain their form and return to winning ways when they host Colombia in Brasília this Thursday.

“We take responsibility for the team’s current performance and everything that has transpired,” Dorival asserted during a press conference on Wednesday.

“Our objective is to bounce back in a competition that becomes more challenging every year. To achieve consistency, we must recalibrate and seek a structured approach to solidify our defence while enhancing our attack.”

“I would be more worried if I didn’t observe any progress despite recent results. We’re making adjustments to ensure the upcoming outcomes improve, and while it may not be recognised by everyone, we are indeed progressing.”

Brazil finds itself in an unusual position, having not fully recovered since their penalty shootout defeat to Croatia in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup, a heartbreaking end to a campaign that also saw the departure of their long-time coach, Tite.

Dorival, who took the reins in early 2024 after the team went through a year under two interim coaches, has yet to earn the confidence of Brazil’s passionate supporters, having won only six out of 14 matches in charge. This includes a disappointing Copa America outing, where they were eliminated by Uruguay in the quarter-finals.

Currently, Brazil occupies fifth place in the standings with 18 points, narrowly ahead of Paraguay and trailing Colombia and Ecuador by one point. Uruguay is in second place with 20 points, while Argentina leads with 25 points. Only the top six teams will secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup finals.

For the match against Colombia, seven players risk missing Tuesday’s clash against Argentina if they receive yellow cards, including key figures like Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Raphinha, Bruno Guimaraes, and Gabriel Magalhaes. In the South American Qualifiers, two yellow cards lead to an automatic suspension.

Brazil will also be without their star player Neymar, who was expected to return after over a year recovering from a knee ligament injury but was sidelined last week due to a muscle complaint.

While Dorival was cautious about revealing his team selection, he did praise Brighton forward Joao Pedro.

“With Neymar, it’s only natural that we aim to build a team around a player of his calibre… Unfortunately, that won’t be the case, and I wish him a swift recovery,” Dorival commented.

“Joao Pedro is a versatile player who can operate as a striker or a second forward. He can add significant value to our setup, but we have various options at our disposal.”