Dunga Must Ensure Brazil Are Prepared for Copa America Battle Without Neymar

The worst has been confirmed. Neymar and Brazil have paid the dearest price for the forward's outburst after the final whistle against Colombia, with the craque now banned for four games, ruling him out of the remainder of the Copa America should the Selecao reach the final.

For the fans, there are shades of 2014, albeit in slightly different circumstances. Twelve months ago an encounter with Colombia also spelt the end of Neymar's participation at an international tournament. On that occasion, it was a crafty knee to the back from Juan Zuniga.

This time, Neymar has brought about his own undoing, finally snapping at the treatment he is dished out on a regular basis, as well as hurling verbal abuse at the referee, including accusations of Enrique Osses wanting to be made famous through the player, as reported by ZH Esporte (in Portuguese).

Philippe Coutinho looks set to be the player to fill the boots of the No. 10, and he has certainly earned his place on merit. His own brand of astute passing and threatening creativity are what Brazil crave in a game they simply must win.

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But Dunga's task may go far beyond simply a reshuffle of the pack. It goes into the psyche of his players, and whether they will be able to deal with the blow of losing the one genuine world-class talent from their ranks.

Neymar did not have the greatest of games against Colombia last Wednesday night, and perhaps that led to his frustration boiling over at the final whistle. But it is an impossible task to drag your team-mates over the finishing line every single time.

With Neymar on the field, there always remains the possibility that a moment of magic, incision or unstoppable quality will be produced to earn a result. Stripped of that option, Dunga and his players face the reality that this side must rely on the greater sum of its parts to get the job done.

With Neymar on the pitch, Brazil have gone 24 games unbeaten, stretching all the way back to September 7, 2013 and a 6-0 thrashing of Australia.

In a poll on Brazilian sports daily Lance's website, several journalists have alleged the punishment meted out by CONMEBOL, the South American football confederation, is overly harsh. That will be of little comfort to Dunga, who must now forge a team spirit and game plan ahead of what has become a game of pivotal importance not only for this tournament, but for the potential longevity of Dunga's second reign as national boss.

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And his immediate task is to ensure that Brazil reach the final eight of the continental competition. With Coutinho set to replace Neymar, Lance has also reported that Douglas Costa could replace Shakhtar Donetsk team-mate Fred in the middle.

Thus far in the tournament, Costa has managed to have an effective impact coming on as a second-half substitute. For this encounter, his more direct style of play may well be favoured over the more probing talents of Fred who, despite some encouraging displays in the yellow of Brazil, is yet to forge a proper understanding alongside Fernandinho in the middle of the park.

That, in part, has been down to a reshuffle in the pack that is yet to pay dividends. The injury to Luiz Gustavo has cost Brazil dear, and Dunga's decision to play Fernandinho in the first holding role has caused the side to suffer.

For Manchester City and Brazil, the 30-year-old normally operates as what is known as a segundo volante or literally “second steering wheel”, bridging the gap between the midfield and attack. The first central midfield role requires far greater discipline, in addition to being a role unfamiliar to Fernandinho.

It has stunted the side's ability to cover the defence adequately—Brazil are yet to keep a clean sheet in the tournament—and has led to an imbalance in the middle sector. If Thiago Silva and Miranda are to continue to operate as the central defensive partnership, it may be of greater benefit to have David Luiz operating in front of the back four, a role he has performed competently for Chelsea, notably under Rafa Benitez.

Indications are that is a change the boss is unlikely to make, and one would imagine Brazil will have the firepower and craft to see themselves safely past Venezuela and into the group stages. Then again, it wasn't supposed to come down to a nail-biting finale quite so early on in the competition.

Building a side without Neymar is only the first obstacle to Brazilian success at this tournament. Ensuring the players are emotionally ready for a battle without their talisman is another issue entirely.