That 2002 team wasn't as great as some people make out. They had a fairly easy run to the final, and guys like Marcos, Roque Junior and Kleberson while solid players, weren't as good as their modern equivalents like Alisson, Thiago Silva and Casemiro.
Also, many guys were played out of their usual position:
- Edmilson was played CB, instead of DM.
- Cafu and Roberto Carlos were played WB, instead of FB.
- Ronaldinho was played AM, instead of LW.
- Rivaldo was played CF, instead of AM.
The current team is just generally more organized and better off the ball.
I imagine you are not brazilian, because there are some very euro-centric tatical "bias" in your avaliation of positions here.
Back in the 80's brazilian teams used to play a lot with attacking wingers (not sure the perfect term in english, we called them PONTAS) and we used the equivalent of today 4-3-3.
But for some retarded reason in the 90's, side midfielders and attacking wingers were literally extinct, no coach played with side midfielders or side attackers, the only one we got in that era, that i can remember is SÁVIO.
So ours full back were the ones responsible for filling the sides in all attacking phases, so our FB were breed as a european WB (like the ones o 3-5-2 formation), they actually had to adapt to the more defensive responsible full back tradition in europe, not the other way around. Cafú especially positioned himself way more offensivelly on the pitch.
Ronaldinho also was breed in the ofensive centre midfield position (number 10 like we call), and later adapted himself to LW to fit on the rijkaard's dutch 4-3-3 style.
We didn't had side winger and midfield in that era, all of them are full back converts like Serginho, Zé Roberto, and so on that transitioned in europe.
It was a questionable tatical "revolution/involution", and now we embark in a new retarted trend, one where we don't breed the historical brazilian biggest diference maker, the classical ACM or number 10.
But i agree with the rest, 2002 was just the easiest road to glory ever.
