Brazil’s Difficult Decision to Leave Alisson Out of the Squad
Brazil’s failure to progress to the semi-finals of the World Cup was considered a colossal failure in South America, with manager Tite stepping down from his position immediately after the tournament. This shakeup of staff saw Claudio Taffarel, who also coaches at Liverpool, briefly leave too before returning.
Six players from the World Cup squad, including Fabinho, have not been called up since Qatar, either. This includes Liverpool’s goalkeeper Alisson, who has not played a minute in five games since the World Cup. He was omitted entirely from the squad for a 2-1 friendly defeat to Morocco in March, before watching clashes with Guinea and Senegal as an unused substitute in June.
The decision to leave Alisson out of the squad has been described as “difficult” by interim manager Fernando Diniz. This is due to the fact that Brazil boasts two of the most high-profile goalkeepers in football, with both playing for two of the biggest clubs in the Premier League.
Alisson has been consistently outperforming his Man City counterpart Ederson, yet he remains on the bench for Brazil’s games. This has prompted questions over his role as Ederson started both 5-1 and 1-0 victories over Bolivia and Peru respectively this month.
Diniz has said that “any time, any of them can play”, but that it is a “matter of feeling the moment” when deciding who will start. He went on to say that both Alisson and Ederson are among the three best goalkeepers in the world, making it hard to make an assessment and decide.
The positive for Liverpool is that Alisson returns from his trip to South America unscathed, but it could be asked whether the journey is even worth it.
Alisson’s Performance at Liverpool
Alisson has been an integral part of Liverpool’s success since joining from Roma in 2018. He has been a key component in their Premier League title win and Champions League victory, as well as their run to the 2019 UEFA Super Cup final.
The Brazilian goalkeeper has kept an impressive total of 34 clean sheets in all competitions for Liverpool, and is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in world football. His performances have earned him numerous individual accolades, including being named in the PFA Team of the Year for 2018/19 and winning the Golden Glove award for keeping the most clean sheets in the Premier League last season.
Alisson has also been praised for his composure and leadership on the pitch, as well as his ability to make crucial saves when needed. He is known for his quick reflexes and excellent distribution, which have helped Liverpool keep possession and launch counter-attacks.
Conclusion
It is clear that Brazil have a difficult decision to make when it comes to choosing between Alisson and Ederson. Both goalkeepers are among the best in world football and play for two of the biggest clubs in the Premier League.
Alisson has been consistently outperforming his Man City counterpart, yet he remains on the bench for Brazil’s games. This has prompted questions over his role as Ederson started both 5-1 and 1-0 victories over Bolivia and Peru respectively this month.
The positive for Liverpool is that Alisson returns from his trip to South America unscathed, but it could be asked whether the journey is even worth it. It is clear that Brazil have a difficult decision to make when it comes to choosing between Alisson and Ederson, but only time will tell who will be their number one goalkeeper.