Those who closely follow behind the scenes of the Brazilian team have always categorically stated that both the results of the pre-World Cup private games and the first phase of the tournament in North America said little to Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian coach’s objective was always to prepare the team to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup in a competitive manner.something that – apparently after the convincing victory over Scotland – has everything to happen.
Brazil, obviously, is a team in formation. Ancelotti has just over a year of work at the helm of the five-time World Cup champion team, where he recently had to deal with criticism for the team’s lack of evolution. Convinced of the scheme with four forwards since the beginning of the cycle, Ancelotti had to give in to the appeals of public opinion – and, of course, to the evidence on the pitch – to change the way Brazil plays during the tournament. In fact, some accidents caused by the injuries were, ironically, what ended up causing these adjustments.
A few months ago, when Ancelotti was imagining his ideal team for the World Cup, the The right side was formed by Estêvão, the best player under his command, and full-back Wesley, from Roma.. Even the injuries to both players, first to the Chelsea winger and then to the full-back, made the coach recalculate the route: the option in the World Cup was to move Raphinha to occupy Estêvão’s sector, with the already veteran Danilo doing the overtaking as a full-back. The team still didn’t fit in, with the Barcelona captain missing from the squad.
It was in the match with Haiti, when Raphinha was injured, that Ancelotti was forced to change the team’s direction. Both the Barcelona star and Estêvão were men who, despite being included in the tactical design at one end of the field, constantly searched for interior spacesleaving all the width to the full-backs, whether it was Wesley or Danilo – Ibañez, starter in the first round against Morocco, was not convincing.
With the departure of both left-wing, skittish and, above all, creative people, the solution he switched the team’s axis to the left side. To this end, the strategy that worked against both Haiti and Scotland and included the entry of the prodigy Rayanfrom Bournemouth, an athlete who gives width to the right side of the attack, with Danilo more “trapped” in defense. On the other side, it’s the left-back Douglas Santosfrom Zenit, one of the surprises of this World Cup, who gives depth in the company of Vinícius Jr. and Lucas Paquetá.
In fact, Paquetá was another of the changes promoted by Ancelotti in this World Cup and with performance. With good combinations with Vini Jr., with whom he shared a dressing room during Flamengo’s youth squad, the midfielder, who returned to Brazilian football this year, has given more cadence to the national team’s midfield. Bruno Guimarães, now fully recovered from the injury that kept him out of much of the preparation for the World Cup, also played an important role again: against Scotland, he provided two assists.
