Ancelotti eyes Endrick start in Round of 16
Carlo Ancelotti’s decision not to field Endrick in Brazil’s 1-1 draw with Morocco in the World Cup opener in New Jersey, United States, drew attention both inside and outside Brazil, sometimes with a touch of irony. Sixteen days later, the coach is now considering starting the forward in the Round of 16 match against Norway or Ivory Coast this Sunday (Jul. 5).
With midfielder Lucas Paquetá injured - he had to be substituted at halftime in Monday’s (Jun. 29) match against Japan in Houston, United States - Endrick was brought on. At that point, Brazil was trailing 1–0. The team went on to win 2–1 in a comeback, with the decisive goal coming late in the second half.
“Yes, we can start this way [with Endrick in place of Lucas Paquetá]. We needed more strength in the box, and Endrick could provide that strength and presence. He played a very good game because he was intense and dangerous,” Ancelotti said in a press conference after the match in Houston.
Endrick’s entry also reflected a shift in approach during the match. While the first-half strategy - which proved unsuccessful - focused on playing through the middle, Brazil began to pressure the Japanese defence with high balls into the box. There were 25 crosses in total. One of them led to the equalising goal by midfielder Casemiro.
“We had trouble creating chances in the first half because Japan were very compact. We looked for solutions by increasing our crosses and our presence in the box. I think that’s a step forward. While in the previous match we had no trouble finding space, this time it was different, but we managed it well in the second half,” the coach said, referring to the 3–0 victory over Scotland last Wednesday (24) in Miami, United States, during the group stage.
Since 2002, when it beat England 2–1 in Shizuoka, Japan, in the quarterfinals, Brazil had not come back to win a World Cup knockout match. Coincidentally, that was the year the Brazilian national team last won the World Cup title. More than just a good omen, Monday’s victory signals, for Ancelotti, the team’s maturation.
“I was confident [even though we were trailing] because the team got off to a good start. Then we ran into difficulties putting pressure on Japan, which is a respectable team - very dangerous - with players who are strong in one-on-one situations. But [Brazil] was not a team that had given up, like in the first half against Morocco,” the coach said, downplaying mistakes such as when fullback Danilo played the ball straight into midfielder Kaishu Sano on the move that led to Japan’s goal.
“Mistakes happen in soccer. We have to look ahead. No one expected the team not to equalise. Suffering is normal, especially in modern soccer. Just as relief is normal,” the coach concluded.
