Sao Paulo, May 25: Brazil’s biggest hope to end a 24-year World Cup title drought is not a clinical striker, a creative midfielder or a dribbling winger like in previous editions of the tournament. This time Brazilians are pinning their hopes on a 66-year-old Italian, who will be sitting on the bench.
Carlo Ancelotti, one of the most successful coaches of his generation, left Real Madrid to take over Brazil’s national team last year, a rare example of a foreign coach in charge of the Selecao. Even though his results have been mixed – five wins, three losses and two draws – the country is optimistic he can elevate a squad which is seen as less star-studded than Brazil’s iconic teams of the past, despite high-profile players like Neymar and Vinicius Junior.While Brazil has won the World cup five times – more than any other team – it hasn’t lifted the trophy since 2002, an eternity for a soccer-obsessed nation that produced some of the most brilliant players in history, such as Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Pele.Since 2002 it has only gotten beyond the quarterfinals once – as World Cup host in 2014 – and even that tournament ended in disappointment after an embarrassing 7-1 semifinal loss to eventual champion Germany.Brazil’s self-confidence hasn’t been helped by the success of archrival Argentina, the defending World Cup champions and back-to-back Copa America winners.“It is allowed to believe,” Ancelotti says in a World Cup-themed advertising campaign, acknowledging the self-doubt that has crawled into Brazil’s national soccer psyche.
Neymar is back despite fitness doubtsBrazil begins its World Cup campaign at MetLife stadium in New Jersey on June 13 against Morocco, semifinalist in the 2022 World Cup. Other Group C opponents are Haiti and Scotland.Surviving the group stage is taken for granted in Brazil – anything else would be disaster in a World Cup expanded from 32 to 48 teams. How deep Brazil can go against stronger opponents in the knockout phase is less obvious. (AP)
