It started before the match kicked off.
As the announcer read out the line-ups for Brazil’s crucial World Cup qualifier against Argentina, Lionel Messi enjoyed a favourable reception from his supposed adversaries, Paulinho suffered a chorus of boos from his own compatriots.
Neymar, as ever, was bestowed a raucous ovation. Yet nobody else generated the reception reserved for the white-shirted man in the Selecao dugout.
Even before his Brazil side comfortably dispatched their arch rivals 3-0, Adenor Leonardo Bacchi — known universally as Tite — could do no wrong in the eyes of the country’s fans.
Having been recruited from league champions Corinthians in the summer in a bid to get his country’s qualification campaign back on track after a dismal start by former manager Dunga, Tite arrived at Estadio Mineirao having taken maximum points from his first four matches and had his country starting to show some of their famous flamboyance once again.
Yet this was to be, undoubtedly, his toughest assignment so far. Not only were Brazil playing against the world’s top-ranked team but they were doing so at the scene of their most humiliating defeat, the infamous 7-1 loss to Germany two years ago.
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Tite, unlike his predecessor, is renowned for his detailed pre-match preparation yet conceded he had been worrying about the match for the past month. He need not have bothered.
The 55-year-old manager is regarded by many to be in a different league or operating on a different level entirely from other Brazilian managers.
Unlike Luis Felipe Scolari, who was Tite’s high-school PE teacher in the 1970s, he uses sophisticated methods. He refuses to cut corners and understands how to switch tactics mid-game to influence the result.
Such was evidenced when Fernandinho — who has drawn similarities between Tite and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola — was booked as early as the sixth minute for a foul on Messi.
Tite immediately ordered Paulinho to drop deeper and help cover. Messi practically disappeared, finishing the game without a single shot on target.
It was the three-pronged attack of Philippe Coutinho, Gabriel Jesus and Neymar that caught the eye the most, though.
Interchanging at will, Neymar and Coutinho linked well before the latter’s crisp, left-footed strike evaded Sergio Romero’s flailing dive.
If that was sweet, the second was better. Gabriel Jesus, who will join Guardiola at City in January, held off a challenge before playing a delightful through-ball for Neymar, who expertly slotted past Romero on the stroke of half time. It was the Barcelona forward’s 50th goal in just 74 internationals.
The personification of how much Tite is trusted in Brazil can be found in the figure of Paulinho.
The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder now plays in China, yet was recalled to Brazil by the new manager.
Had Dunga selected him, the decision would have been heavily criticised. Instead, save for some jeers, there is a feeling of general acceptance.
Tite coached Paulinho at Corinthians when he was named Player of the Season in 2013 and the 28-year-old Brazilian was back to his bustling box-to-box best on Thursday night.
Moments after rounding Romero in the second half only to see his shot cleared off the line, he added Brazil’s third.
“The most important thing is that our team won. Whether I finish with a goal or not, the most important thing is the group,” said the Guangzhou Evergrande midfielder, who was one of only three players involved who had also played in the 2014 World Cup semi-final defeat to Germany.
The victory means after five matches with Tite, Brazil have won six points more than Dunga managed in the previous six qualifiers.
Better still, his side have scored 15 goals while only conceding one.
“I am happy and pleased with the performance,” Tite said. “[Five victories is] not expected. It was beyond what I imagined. But they are steps for classification.
“This team still can improve a lot and has to learn to suffer, as it did when Argentina was better.”
Next up, Brazil travel to Peru looking to retain their place at the top of the standings. Argentina, in contrast, have it all to do.
Without a win in four matches, they sit seventh from 10 and host Colombia on Tuesday.
“We are more than aware that we have to change a lot,” Messi said. “Of all the bad points, the good one though is that we depend on ourselves. But we can’t be giving away any more points.”
Ironically, given the plethora of top Argentine managers at present, it appears it is Brazil — a country whose managers have often of late been described as outdated and uninventive — have struck the winning formula.
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