After Brazil’s nail-biting round-of-32 World Cup encounter against Japan, former Manchester United captain Roy Keane had mixed feelings about Casemiro.
On Monday night, Japan took the lead thanks to a well-deserved goal by Kaishū Sano in the first half, and Brazil, who were thought to be among the tournament’s top contenders, appeared to be on the verge of an unexpected early exit.
After a tumultuous four years at Manchester United, Casemiro left the club recently. He had a rough first half, picking up an early yellow card and contributing to Sano’s goal.
“A major concern throughout the tournament, and it has cost them,” Keane said when asked about Brazil’s midfield vulnerabilities during halftime on ITV.
Their midfielders lost their positions earlier in the match due to an error, and Casemiro’s choice to approach the striker was likely influenced by the fact that he was already on a yellow card.
Despite their cavalier surrender of possession, there is still plenty to accomplish. See, Casemiro’s first move is to advance, and this is what annoys me.
He needs to pull back, protect the goal, and slow down the attacker. Even though he has a lot of playing experience, it won’t matter if he doesn’t put that knowledge to use.
The attacking midfielder deserves praise for his outstanding performance, although Casemiro nearly steered him past him. Staying by the goal was crucial. To slow him down and make sure there are enough people surrounding you, just keep receding.
A fantastic goal, and it was justly earned. The Brazilian midfield, though, thought it was woefully inadequate. If he comes back for the second half, I’ll be astonished.