Player Focus: The Ongoing Effect of Brazil's Catastrophic Defeat to Germany

For all the relentlessness of the Premier League machine, and all that the accumulation of games and results eradicate the effect of previous ones, there are some matches that aren't so easy to minimise or just wave away. Sometimes, a player can’t be as good as his last game because one specific performance lingers for so long.

That could be someway seen in an interview Fernandinho gave to the Guardian at the weekend, where he discussed the one event every Brazilian involved really must detest: “the 7-1”, that historic defeat to Germany in the semi-finals of the World Cup.

“It was probably the lowest point for every single one of the Brazilian players involved and I don’t think I exaggerate when I say we will probably have to answer questions about that game for the rest of our lives,” Fernandinho told the newspaper. We will need to learn to live with that.”
They may have to get over it first, though.

That match was obviously not just the result of the 2014 World Cup, or even the year. It was one of the sport’s genuinely historic moments, an event that will echo for years.

You could see the trauma of it in the tears of David Luiz, and the devastated responses of all the players. Fernandinho said it was “heart-breaking” and that the squad had at least been fortunate enough to escape individual criticism because everyone “seemed to understand that none of the players were indifferent to what happened in that game”.

With most bad set-backs, players can gradually play and work through. This, however, felt like something more. There have been cases of especially traumatic matches totally transforming players’ careers. While that is not quite expected of any of these players, the wonder is what effect something so searing has had. Has it at all affected their performances, and how are they playing in comparison to last season - before such a chastening experience?

Five Premier League players (plus Luiz, who has of course now departed) were named in that squad, with two starting the match and the other three coming off the bench Their stats are some way telling. Four of them have suffered real dips.

Take the man talking about the emotion of it all, Fernandinho. The defensive midfielder was one of Manchester City’s quieter success stories last season, with the way in which he knitted together defence and attack finally giving the team what they were long missing and also offering such a platform for that brilliant attack. It isn’t too much of a stretch to say that the decline in Fernandinho’s form has been one factor in their difficult start, even if it is starting to change. The midfielder is tackling less than last season, with his rate dropping from 2.9 to 2.2, and also offers fewer key passes (1.2 to 0.8) and fewer dribbles (1.1 to 0.8). He is also shooting much less, at 0.3 per game rather than 1.

All in all, it is as if a certain verve has gone, even though the signs are he is recovering it. That is still not the case for Willian, who is simply offering so much less in general play. The Chelsea forward has fewer goals per game (0.16 to 0.07), is shooting less (1.8 to 1.6), is making much fewer tackles (1.2 from 1.8), much fewer interceptions (0.7 to 0.3) and far fewer key passes (2.6 to 1.1). He has just looks lacking in that extra sharpness.

Ramires and Paulinho have lacked minutes, as they have been effectively dropped this season, but that is almost relevant in itself. It has also meant they have suffered a decline in every available stat, but that is skewed by the lower amount of playing time and more sub appearances.

The single player to really pick up has been Oscar. He is shooting more (2.2 to 2.8) assisting much more (0.36 a game rather than 0.06), winning more headers (0.8 to 1.2), tackling more (2 to 2.4), intercepting more (0.2 to 0.6), fouling more (1 to 1.6) and dribbling more (0.8 to 1.1).

He is at least one to have not been negatively affected by the 7-1. It may even have caused him to work even harder.

The next few months will reveal much, but it’s hard to think of anything that could ever be as decisive and defining as that game. Many are clearly still feeling it.

Do you think there has been a noticeable effect of Brazil's World Cup this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below