Brazil face Japan in a do-or-die Round of 32 clash at 11:00 pm Bangladesh time today, Monday. Ahead of the match, Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti was asked about Neymar’s game time. After bringing the forward on as a substitute in the previous match, would he start this time?
Ancelotti’s response however suggested that Neymar is unlikely to be in the starting line-up against Japan as well.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Ancelotti said Neymar is now much fitter than before. However, exactly how long he plays will depend entirely on the circumstances of the match.
Neymar returned to the national team after 981 days in Brazil’s final group-stage match against Scotland.
He came on in the second half and played 15 minutes that day. It is expected that he could feature for a longer period against Japan.
On the matter, Ancelotti said, “Neymar is preparing himself very well. In the last week his progress has been significant. Unfortunately he could not play longer than 15 minutes before, but he is now doing well enough to play more.”
Meanwhile, the Brazil coach believes his decision not to deploy in-form forward Matheus Cunha in a fixed position against Scotland worked well.
He said that not assigning Cunha a specific position in the last match gave them an extra advantage. Regularly rotating players’ positions is very important to prevent opponents from reading their game.
Bruno, Paquetá and Cunha have executed this approach brilliantly over the last two matches, he remarked.
A victory over Japan today will secure Brazil’s place in the last 16. If they progress, they will face either Norway or Ivory Coast in Sunday’s match to reach quarter-final.
Brazil train for Japan knockout clash
