The 1-0 defeat against Spain in Santiago de Chile left the Canarinha at the bottom of its group and marked an unprecedented fall in the category
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Brazil experienced a historic blow at the U-20 World Cup. The youth national team was eliminated in the group stage for the first time since the tournament's creation, after losing 1-0 to Spain at the Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos in Santiago, Chile. The result, combined with Mexico's victory over Morocco, left the Verdeamarela in last place in Group C and with no chance to advance.
The team led by Ramón Menezes arrived as South American champion, but couldn't live up to expectations. The press in his country reacted with strong criticism. "Brazil is a disgrace and is eliminated with one point," headlined Globo Esporte, while Folha de São Paulo highlighted the unprecedented nature of the failure, recalling the five titles won by the country in the category (1983, 1985, 1993, 2003, and 2011).
Brasil nunca había quedado fuera en fase de grupos
The portal UOL was even harsher, describing the performance as "the worst campaign in U-20 history." Meanwhile, the newspaper Lance spoke of a new frustration for Brazilian youth football.
Statements from Brazil's head coach
Menezes, meanwhile, tried to justify the performance: "We had little time to work. The fans are sad, but they don't understand all the difficulties," he said after the match. The coaching staff had to face the tournament with a depleted squad: Endrick and Estêvão were not drafted due to their commitments with European clubs, and Vitor Roque was also unavailable because of his key role at Palmeiras.
Before the match, the coach had already warned of the difficulties: "It's a brilliant generation, but many players couldn't come. We took young players who weren't even at the South American Championship. That's our problem," he admitted.
Menezes lamentó la falta de los jugadores de jerarquía
The elimination leaves Brazil with an unprecedented record in the category. Runner-up only behind Argentina in the title history, its last triumph had been in Colombia 2011 with Philippe Coutinho as the standout player. The blow in Chile forces a thorough review of the Brazilian youth project, which had shown signs of recovery and now faces its greatest fiasco in decades.
