Brazil media reacts to Lucas Paqueta display as West Ham United star subbed off v Chile
West Ham United ace Lucas Paqueta put in a disappointing display for Brazil despite them earning a 2-1 victory over Chile in their World Cup qualifiers in the early hours of Friday.
The 27-year-old, who has been in decent form for the Hammers this term, was played in a more defensive role for his country by Dorival Junior but was hooked at half-time.
Although Brazil managed to secure three points and get a step closer to qualifying for the World Cup, Paqueta didn’t have much say in the result with O Globo sharing that the midfielder was “compromised” by the yellow card he received in the game.
“Paquetá wasn’t bad, but he was compromised by the yellow card he received early on,” the Brazilian outlet wrote (10 October).
While O Globo didn’t believe the midfielder was the worst player on the pitch, O Popular (10 October) believed that Junior’s men improved after the Hammers ace was taken off.
“Dorival made two changes at halftime. Andre and Lucas Paqueta were replaced by Bruno Guimaraes and Gerson. Brazil improved little after the break.”
Noataque (10 October) also share the same verdict as O Popular and claims that, when Paqueta was hooked, Brazil had a more “attacking presence” in the centre of the park.
“Brazil came back with a different attitude in the second half. With Bruno Guimarães and Gerson replacing André and Lucas Paquetá, the team had a more attacking presence in the midfield”.
West Ham United star Lucas Paqueta poor for Brazil
Paqueta has arguably been one of Julen Lopetegui’s best players this season. Although he hasn’t quite picked up from where he left off last term, the playmaker has still bagged two goals in nine games.
This performance against Chile is quite a contrast from one of his last outings for Brazil where he was deemed one of their best players after a 1-0 win over Ecuador.
In fact, the entire West Ham squad haven’t been at their best during the 2024/25 campaign as they find themselves 12th in the league with just two top-flight wins to their name.
So, in reality, it isn’t much of a surprise that Paqueta hasn’t managed to live up to the form he showed last season.
It may, however, come as a bit of a surprise to Hammers fans that their Brazilian playmaker offered fewer attacking opportunities than Guimaraes did for his country.
There’s still plenty of time left in the season for things to turn around for Paqueta and Brazil’s boss may even call upon the Hammers star in their next World Cup qualifier to prove his worth to his national side, as he has managed to do with Lopetegui’s men thus far.
In other West Ham news, Darren Bent has shared his verdict on what the Hammers signing Jhon Duran could have done for the club.
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.