The power of negativity blamed for Brazil's embarrassing performance in 2014 World Cup Semifinals

The power of negativity blamed for  Brazil's embarrassing performance in 2014 World Cup Semifinals

Posted by CotoBlogzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA -  Peter Sear BSc Psychology and  Member of the British Psychological Society attributes Brazil's embarrassing performance in the 2014 World Cup Semifinals to the power of negative thinking and not necessarily to lack of talent, tactical or strategical failure.

Brazil had everything going for it.  It was the host country and it had one of the best players in the world in Neymar, then tragedy struck: Neymar was sidelined with injuries.

Brazil’s players entered the stadium on Tuesday, with each member of the squad wearing a Neymar cap. Sears argues that  the "presence of the caps rang alarm bells; bells that grew louder when the team stood on the pitch, all lined up to sing their passionate anthem, clutching onto the star players’ empty shirt. A Neymar shaped shadow dominated the team’s psyche....... Neymar’s empty shirt reminded the fans – the whole stadium – that success, in this vital semi-final, on home soil, was less likely. That the 11 players fighting to win were not as good as they could have been"

Arguably, Brazil's performance was embarrassing.  It is also intriguing that to overcome Neymar's absence, Brazil's coach brought in a psychologist to help the team prior to the game.

Using the Law of Attribution, should Brazil psychologist be to blame for the outcome?  Is Sears' argument merely a case of Monday Morning Quarterbacking!?  Or is it simply that psychology is irrelevant when everything is on the line?