Brazil's Dominance Continues at Copa America

Brazil's dominance throughout the history of international football has been apparent over the course of various decades and with recognizable stars gracing the pitch like Pele, Ronaldo and now Neymar.

But for several years in the 2010s the Brazil national team didn’t have the same results that a country of its stature was used to. 

From 1997 to 2007, Brazil won four out of five Copa America crowns, while also winning the 2002 World Cup in South Korea/Japan after going 7-0-0 during the tournament.

That was just one example of Brazil that everyone knew and enjoyed watching because of its flair, but more importantly, the country’s consistency when it came down to the biggest matches on the premier stages.

In 2014, after a few years of Neymar’s brilliance in Europe at Barcelona, Brazil’s expectations were massive as the World Cup came back to their home soil for the first time in 64 years. 

Despite making the final four of the competition, a Neymar injury and a hungry Germany side made for the perfect storm of Brazil not being able to capitalize and live up to those same expectations that everyone had before the tournament began.

Brazil was thrashed 7-1 on their home pitch, while rivals Argentina made it into the final and were only narrowly defeated by Germany in the title match.

This isn’t to say that the Brazilians weren’t talented or didn’t have good teams prior to their current Copa America run, but again, when it’s Brazil the costs are always higher and when they fall short of meeting the goals set by their fans it’s a hard pill to swallow.

Brazil currently rides a 13-match unbeaten streak after reaching yet another Copa America final in 2021 and serving as the defending champions in the competition after winning it all two years prior.

They aren’t blowing teams away the way that they have in decades past, but they’re also playing much more stout defense and have only allowed two goals in six matches at the current installment of Copa America.

Tite’s side has faced criticism at times during his managerial tenure with the national team for not always possessing the same pizazz of those Brazil teams of the 1960s or 1990s, but when accumulating wins is the result people begin to enjoy the ride and that’s exactly what it happening now as Brazil is on the brink of its 10th Copa America title.