Scouting Report: Is Dante Headed for Disastrous Bayern Munich Season?
July 9, 2014
Does Dante's woeful display in Brazil's 7-1 humiliation to Germany at the 2014 FIFA World Cup semi-finals foreshadow a disastrous season for Bayern Munich?
To cover that hypothetical scenario, this article grades Dante's game against Germany and provides a scouting report on the 30-year-old, 6'2", 194-pound Brazilian international.
Dante vs. Germany Grade: F
If Thiago Silva had not impulsively impeded Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina in the quarter-finals, Dante would have sat on the bench in the semi-finals against Germany.
Silva's trivial suspension mentally affected David Luiz, and it put Dante in an arduous situation.
Of all the games to choke, both Dante and Luiz gave up on Brazil in the nation's most important game since the 2002 World Cup final victory over Germany.
Chelsea shrewdly sold Luiz to Paris Saint-Germain for €49.5/£39.3 million before the World Cup.
Meanwhile, Bayern extended Dante's contract despite Manchester United's interest, per Fox Sports Brazil (via Jamie Jackson at The Guardian).
Dante was historically bad for Brazil and was shaky for Bayern last season.
He was more useful in the attacking half (two goals, three assists in Bundesliga/UEFA Champions League play) than defending at the back.
Dante Warning Signs
Bayern only conceded 23 goals in 34 Bundesliga games, yet that statistic is misleading.
If you did not closely monitor Dante, you would have overlooked the amount of times he went missing.
Dante was out of position when Borussia Dortmund right attacking midfielder Jonas Hofmann scored.
During the buildup to Borussia Dortmund left attacking midfielder Marco Reus scoring, Dante inexplicably took the play off.
Misreading then-Borussia Monchengladbach (now Tijuana) left-winger Juan Arango's low cross, Dante accidentally steered the ball past Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
Dante failed to put in a challenge as Hoffenheim central attacking midfielder Roberto Firmino slid the ball past Bayern goalkeeper Tom Starke.
Being a step behind was why Dante did not press Hoffenheim right attacking midfielder Kevin Volland, who provided a defence-splitting pass to Hoffenheim centre-forward Anthony Modeste.
Unable to steal the ball off Werder Bremen centre-forward Franco Di Santo, Dante was at fault as the Werder No. 9 pierced Bayern's defence with a lofted through ball to then-Werder (now Wolfsburg) central attacking midfielder Aaron Hunt.
Dante did not contest Schalke right attacking midfielder Jefferson Farfan's cross, which created a scoring chance for then-Schalke (now Hoffenheim) centre-forward Adam Szalai.
Bottom Line
Dante's inept performance in Brazil's 7-1 defeat to Germany was reminiscent of his guide on how not to defend when Gladbach were beaten 7-0 by Stuttgart in 2010.
Gladbach conceded four goals in a 19-minute span, and Brazil conceded five goals in a 29-minute period.
In a matter of years, Dante went from a raw defender to a world-class centre-back.
Though, Dante has now reached his peak and will start regressing.
Fact: Fourteen defenders were ranked ahead of Dante in Kicker's Bundesliga player rankings last season.
Having extended his contract, Dante's career is headed downhill like that of Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique.
Dante's peak is a red flag for Pep Guardiola and Bayern next season.
Statistics via WhoScored.com.