In the early hours of Saturday (3) morning as the World Cup battle raged on in Group G, Brazil locked up their qualification early. However, team leader Didi made a bold change in the lineup, starting a sub-selected lineup against Cameroon. Daniel, who is 39 years and 210 days old, became the oldest player to start in the World Cup in Brazilian history. However, the right back was unlucky to "kick the black foot", and in the late stage of the game Brazil unfortunately lost the ball, losing 0-1, almost letting Switzerland steal the first place in the group out of the lineup.
Daniel, who plays for Mexican side Pumas, didn't play in either of the first two group games, but this time not only started, but also captained the side. He not only broke the record of 38 years and 67 days set by his teammate Thiago Silva, but also showed good form with a solid all-around performance.
Since his debut for Brazil against Ecuador in October 2006, Daniel has made 126 appearances for the "Samba Army", scoring 8 goals. This year's World Cup could be his swansong in international competitions.
The Brazilian starting lineup made a nine-man rotation for this game, and the substitutes were just as good. Gabier Martinelli was a threat with a header and kick, while Fernando Ferreira and Lodi Gomes also had good chances to score but failed to capitalize on them. In stoppage time, Cameroon struck back with a header from Aboubacar, and Brazil conceded for the first time in the World Cup and lost.
At the time, Switzerland was leading Serbia 3-2, and if they scored one more goal, they could overtake Brazil by virtue of their goal difference and take the top spot in the group. Luckily for the Swiss, they held on to their 3-2 lead and Brazil kept their top spot, avoiding a tough opponent like Portugal in the Round of 16. Didi's rotation strategy was a close call, but in the end it was a thrilling way to keep the top spot.
