Brazil’s World Cup opener didn’t exactly go to plan, particularly for Carlo Ancelotti.
The record champions managed a 1-1 draw against tough opposition in Morocco, but were outplayed for most of the match and relied on a moment of Vinicius Jr magic for a point.
On top of the poor showing, Ancelotti arguably got his tactics wrong, as shown by a pair of half-time substitutions.
Casemiro and Roger Ibañez were taken off for Fabinho and Danilo at the break, a painful switch for any professional.
But Ancelotti wouldn’t hear criticism of the duo he removed, making it a collective punishment.
Ancelotti defends Casemiro
“They are good players. I think I made the right choices, and I won’t accept any criticism of individual players,” he said.
“If there is any criticism, it concerns the whole team, which didn’t play well in the first half.
“You can’t expect the team to be perfect from the start; you don’t win the World Cup in the first match.
“My confidence in the players is absolute. In football, everything doesn’t go perfectly. This is just the beginning of the journey.”
Explaining why the first half went wrong, he added: “I think the team was a bit anxious at the beginning. Nerves were on edge.
“We didn’t keep possession much. The second half was much better, but it was still difficult.
“I’m sure the team will do better in the next match. The team fought until the last minute, that’s the positive aspect. It’s quite clear that we need to improve.”
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