Roberto Firmino Seizes His Chance as Brazil Beat Austria

Brazil's recovery since the World Cup has been swift, with their winning streak now standing at an impressive six matches. However, make no mistake—they were tested severely by Austria in Vienna this Wednesday evening.

A 2-1 victory will of course take the headlines, with Aleksandar Dragovic scoring what is now the only goal Brazil have conceded in the Dunga era from the penalty spot. Following the equaliser, it took a spectacular strike from Hoffenheim starlet Roberto Firmino for the victory to be achieved. It was a test the Selecao needed.

Austria were a different challenge from those that Dunga's side have faced in recent games, as they were content to sit back in a compact formation and allow Brazil the ball. Given the new Selecao boss' preference for counter-attacking football, it is a tactical approach that can frustrate them.

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Brazil have creative options, but they are designed to attack quickly. With Austria looking to control space in their own half, their opponents struggled to pick out the required passes to open up play. For all of Brazil's dominance, they created few clear chances.

It is in such games that players who can do something a bit out of the ordinary can excel. It was not, for example, an evening when Luiz Adriano—a fairly traditional centre-forward—was likely to excel.

Instead, having allowed their opponents back into the game through the concession of a cheap penalty when Oscar recklessly jumped into a tackle, it was Firmino who provided that moment of inspiration for Dunga's side.

With Neymar and Filipe Luis having combined well around the area, the ball was laid off to the young forward on his second international appearance. The resulting strike was as sweet as any scored this season, rasping into the top of the net at a rate of knots.

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For Dunga, the night was a success in that one moment. Another win was to be recorded and one of his new inductees into the national team setup had stood up to be counted. He could ask for little else.

It was certainly not a vintage night for the Selecao, who were forced to waste time as Austria pushed for a late equaliser. However, that matters little as they continue to build momentum and demonstrate increasing solidity after the lows of the summer.

Dunga has built a consistent unit, and it is beginning to show. This is a side that looks comfortable. When the likes of Firmino are given opportunities to break that status quo, they must make an impact. On this occasion, the Hoffenheim player, along with fellow substitute Douglas Costa, did show something a bit different. Their manager will have taken note.

The national team will now break for a few months over the winter, and Dunga can be justifiably pleased with his work over the past half-season. He will also be acutely aware that next summer's Copa America is where his first-year back will be judged, so the focus must continue to be on preparing for that competition.

With his defining contribution in Vienna, Firmino has thrown his hat well and truly into the ring.