With the Copa America Centenario reaching boiling point and Brazil nowhere to be seen for the second successive year, it may be tempting to reach for the panic button, especially with established rivals Argentina romping their way to the final. The 2007 South American champions have had, by their own high standards, a dreadful run of form in continental competitions.
Quarter-final exits in 2011 and 2015, followed by the ignominy of falling at the first hurdle in the United States, have left a bitter taste in the collective mouth. The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) had seen enough and parted ways with coach Dunga for the second time in little over half a decade.