Ancelotti's Brazil Debut: A Patchwork Test with Glimpses of Promise

The Three-Card Trick That Didn’t Quite Work

Ancelotti opened with a bold three-center-back system that had Marquinhos quarterbacking play from the right - an interesting idea that collapsed faster than a house of cards in Rio’s summer rain. Without proper support from underwhelming wing-back Vanderson or out-of-sorts Richarlison, those diagonal balls into midfield might as well have been sent by carrier pigeon.

Vinícius: Lone Wolf in the Jungle

The early plan to bring Vini Jr infield made sense on paper (if that paper was last season’s Champions League stats), but watching Gerson ‘play’ as a false winger was like seeing a capybara try ballet. Zero width, zero movement - just pass to Vinícius and pray. When Sandro finally started overlapping properly after halftime, it proved even average support creates chances for world-class talent.

Midfield Bright Spots (With One Glaring Exception)

Casemiro reminded everyone why he’s still elite with interception numbers that would make a Vatican security detail proud. Meanwhile, his midfield partner… let’s just say if incompetence was taxable, Gerson would be funding Brazil’s GDP. The 65th minute substitutions brought minimal improvement - proof that tactical systems need time to bake longer than pão de queijo in a rush.

Key Takeaway: This was football’s equivalent of judging a chef by their first attempt at feijoada using someone else’s pantry. Judge Ancelotti when he has his full squad and preseason prep.