Is Tite foolish for naming 15 “untouchables” to his World Cup roster?

In unprecedented fashion, Brazil coach Tite has named 15 players to his roster for the World Cup already. Coaches need not confirm a provisional roster for a couple of months, yet Tite has listed players who will be on the plane to Russia. 

The players, stated by Tite during an interview, include a host of PSG players; Neymar, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, and Dani Alves. Also making the team are Willian, Roberto Firmino, Gabriel Jesus, and Fernandinho from the Premier League. Coutinho, Paulinho, Casemiro, Marcelo, Allison, Miranda, and Renato Augusto round out the selection. 

Brazil were the first team (besides hosts Russia) to qualify for the tournament. The South American nation, who hold the most trophies, also have a deep pool of players to select from, making Tite’s announcement even more baffling. Naturally, he knows his players better than anyone, and with a team like Brazil, all of the selected players are stars in their own rights, meaning that he isn’t really giving scouts anything extra to look at. However not even he can predict how any of them will finish the season, both in terms of form, and injury. Four of his so called “untouchables” were thumped in the Champions League this week, with star player Neymar still seeming as juvenile, unreliable, and reckless as ever. Will he grow up when is matters most? Gabriel Jesus is recovering from a nasty knock, will he be back to the crazy form he was in before the injury? There are so many unanswered questions at this point, and it is just strange that Tite made this announcement so early into 2018, when so much can still change or be revealed. 

This announcement also begs the question as to Tite’s strategies for the tournament. Of course, Brazil should be aiming to leave Russia with the trophy, doing this takes almost a perfect tournament. Giving this selection of players ego boosts, whilst simultaneously giving others a let down is perhaps the worst thing you could do at this stage. Players not in Tite’s “untouchables” surly will feel like they are unwanted, particularly when you look at the 15 players mentioned and realize it’s near enough a full starting 11. Those players not mentioned by Tite to be in the squad yet include exceptional players such as Douglas Costa, Alex Sandro, and Ederson. These players surely must be thinking why should they even bother? Who in their right mind would want to ride the bench at a tournament like the World Cup? 

Moreover, why should players already on the team exert themselves between now and June? They have no reason to, especially since almost all of the major leagues have runaway winners this year. Why risk an injury? At least those not in the team yet have something to fight for. But then again, that might be the genius of it all. Maybe Tite is creating a group of players with different routes to the World Cup intentionally, creating a huge fight for who will be in the starting 11. However this too may raise questions and have its issues. Tite is playing a dangerous game with his star players, that is for sure. 

Tite is quoted to have added that “the list is open in one part, and closed in another”. Let’s hope that this doesn’t turn out to backfire for a Brazil team that must reach the final after being so savagely beaten at home in 2014. This announcement could turn out to be a mistake, and it’s important to acknowledge this. This is not to say that Neymar and co won’t play well over the next few months, nor is it stating that Brazil are doomed and won’t win the World Cup because of this announcement. But how did Tite select who was already good enough to make it? And more importantly why? Why make this announcement, what is he and his team gaining? The answer is seemingly nothing positive, at least in the short term.

The Brazil team will be strong and likely will threaten anyone. This is just who Brazil are. Tite is known to be somewhat of a genius in the soccer world. His latest antics could prove that even further, but they could also result in a failure of epic proportions. Only time will tell.