Carlo Ancelotti’s classic form inspires Brazil’s stunning comeback to break Japanese hearts
So this is what Brazil hired Carlo Ancelotti to deliver. The Italian won the Champions League three times with Real Madrid. Each scored a vital injury-time goal in the semi-final or final; sometimes more than one.
So, as Bruno Guimaraes pierced the Japanese defense and Gabriel Martinelli fired a 95th-minute shot into the far corner of the net, a manager with a low heart rate in football had seen it all before.
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Ancelotti can be a cool king, a man who doesn’t panic. His ability to think calmly in stressful situations however contributed to a comeback that boosted Brazil’s hopes of getting a sixth star in their shirts. Two of his changes had a big impact: first he introduced Endrick for Lucas Paqueta on the break, giving Brazil a bigger attacking threat, then Martinelli was called on to replace Matheus Cunha.
At half-time, when Japan led the way in Houston, the danger was that this was remembered as the worst World Cup in Brazil. They reached 16, or equal, in all competitions, hitting in all competitions in 1930 and 1966, the last eight each time after 1990. Ancelotti could be a history maker in cup competitions, but in the right way. He may be there again.
His demeanor suggests that he is so depressed that he is almost horizontal. Dressed in a three-piece suit, Ancelotti looked more like a dapper antiques specialist than a football coach. Yet part of his success lies in his ability to strengthen players decades his junior and with very different characters. Brazil looked motivated after the break. Their next quarter of an hour compared to England’s 15 minutes against Croatia. The management team’s speech led to a strike. And if Brazil seemed to run out of energy in the second half of the break, it showed that they have found the energy to play as late as the rest of Ancelotti’s team.
Brazil’s Gabriel Martinelli celebrates with his teammates (Getty)
However, they were helped by Japan’s strange inaction. A united team, very compelling before the break, retreated quickly, quietly, defending deep pressure, inviting themselves, as if pulled back by low-level complexity.
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When they had the opportunity to make this game a global game, only five-time winners were eliminated, instead it led to them retaining the World Cup. Since moving to Argentina in 1990, Brazil have never lost a play-off to a non-European country. They have never lost to a North American, African or Asian side. They tend to hit the new world of football when it matters.
Brazil’s Gabriel Martinelli celebrates with his teammates after scoring (Getty)
Japan, on the other hand, is sticking to its own version of Groundhog Day. They have never won a playoff game. They lost to them in five World Cups. Normally that means the last 16; in this format, it was the last 32. It was a setback, thus, where the evidence of the first half against Brazil, and their matches against Sweden and the Netherlands that, at least, they are one of the top 16 teams and a side that could be quarter-finalists.
A successful result eluded them but they highlighted some Brazilian mistakes, even if it was not a secret. While Roberto Carlos watched from the top spot behind Gianni Infantino, Brazil showed that they are now short of top quality defenders. Danilo provided the ball in the build-up to Kaishu Sano’s opening goal. He was later booked due to his inability to stop Daizen Maeda.
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In the middle of the field, Casemiro had a game of two halves. He rowed after 92 minutes when there was a case of sending him off after 45. Next was the rescue. After his worst showing, he brought his best.
Casemiro reacts after equalizing against Japan (AP)
Before the break, Junya Ito, who seems to be failing when he plays, was tied up. Then he was running when Sano passed him to score. He looked old and unmoved: after being taken off at half-time against Morocco, there were reasons to think that history was about to repeat itself.
But Casemiro has character. And, for a defensive midfielder, he has an amazing ability to score goals. He’s just not a good complement. He has the mentality of an opening striker. He had a great title, and almost mysteriously, he deleted the line. He met Gabriel Magalhaes’ cross with an emphatic header level.
A disappointed Japanese team leaves the field (AP)
He can be a great player, as Ancelotti knows. Casemiro was part of the team that won the Champions League for the fourth time, in 2022. Ancelotti brought an old partner into international captivity, remembering Casemiro after a two-year absence, and made him part of the team again.
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Compared to some of its predecessors, this Selecao side may not be blessed with options in midfield. Ancelotti paired Casemiro with Guimaraes. The old man scored the equalizer. Young set up a winner. As Ancelotti’s decisions paid off, Brazil improved. And that, they will hope, is a feeling they can repeat in the coming weeks.
