"Despite how it might look on paper, Brazil did not necessarily hit a new low at high altitude by losing 1-0 to Bolivia this week. As their place at the World Cup was already reserved, Carlo Ancelotti could afford to field a second-string side with seven changes. It looked like they would return home from 4,000 meters above sea level with a draw until Bruno Guimaraes gave away a penalty."
"Miguel Terceros smashed the spot kick past Alisson, securing a place in the playoffs for the hosts, who are now dreaming of reaching the World Cup for the first time since 1994, which is, of course, when Brazil won the tournament in the US. This has been a successful campaign for Bolivia. Not so Brazil, who finished fifth in the table with just 28 points from 18 games, making it the worst qualification campaign in their history."
"The worst campaign before this? That would be when they picked up 30 points on their way to Japan and South Korea in 2002 when they won the most recent of their five World Cups. There are a number of parallels between the two campaigns. Brazil also went through three managers on the road to 2002; their 3-0 defeat to Chile in 2000 was heavily criticised, just like the 4-1 loss to Argentina earlier this year that led to Dorival Junior's dismissal;"
Brazil lost 1-0 to Bolivia at around 4,000 meters after Carlo Ancelotti fielded a second-string side with seven changes; Bruno Guimaraes conceded a penalty and Miguel Terceros converted. Bolivia secured a playoff place and aim to reach a first World Cup since 1994. Brazil finished fifth with 28 points from 18 games, marking their worst qualification campaign. The previous low was 30 points en route to the 2002 World Cup, which Brazil won. Parallels include managerial changes, heavy defeats such as to Chile and Argentina, and difficult results in several South American venues. Neymar carries high expectations similar to Ronaldo's earlier career trajectory.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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