Carlo Ancelotti introduced himself to the Brazilian public as the national team coach on his 66th birthday by securing qualification for the World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. In his second match in charge of Brazil—and his first in front of the home crowd—the Italian also earned his first victory. Paraguay was defeated 1–0 in Sao Paulo, sealing Brazil’s place at next summer’s World Cup. One could say that Ancelotti delivered results right away, but that was more or less expected. What he hasn’t delivered (yet) is making Brazil feel like Brazil: convincing, dominant, attractive… Maybe he never will, maybe that’s not expected, and maybe he’s simply not that kind of coach. But over the next year, he will certainly need to make many adjustments and improvements to achieve the one goal he was brought in for—winning the World Cup.VINI SCORES THE FIRST GOAL OF THE CARLO ANCELOTTI BRAZIL ERA 😭❤️ pic.twitter.com/g1qznjrIzk— fan account (@Asensii20) June 11, 2025 After a goalless draw in Ecuador, Brazil had to crush the resistance of yet another ultra-defensive team in front of their home fans and under a new coach. Defending is in Paraguay’s DNA, and they relish being the underdog with nothing to lose. In the end, they didn’t lose much—this result also puts them within reach of the World Cup. Only goal difference theoretically separates them from qualification. In the final two matches, they face Peru and Ecuador, and even a single point would secure their spot. They likely won’t even need that. They had nothing to lose, but Brazil did. Had they not won, the entire hype surrounding Ancelotti would have taken on a very different tone. As it is, one goal in two matches and a performance that shows some progress—but not yet full confidence—is a modest outcome.Welcome to the jungle Don CarloCompared to the match in Ecuador, the Italian didn’t start Richarlison, teenager Estevao, or Gerson as the third midfielder. Instead, he opted for Martinelli and Raphinha on the wings and Matheus Cunha as the fourth attacker alongside Vinícius. Casemiro and Bruno Guimaraes remained in midfield, and the defense was unchanged: Vanderson, Marquinhos, Militao, and Alex Sandro. Paraguay focused on strict defense, though with high pressing they managed to disrupt Brazil’s build-up at times. Vinícius had a chance early on but was late to a pass from Cunha. For over 30 minutes, that was all Brazil produced—until Cunha missed a sitter with a header from five meters. Just when it seemed Paraguay might hold out, Brazil got a bit of luck. Raphinha had practically lost the ball, but Alonso was careless and allowed Cunha to recover it and pass to the six-yard box, where Vinícius was the quickest and scored, giving Brazil a calmer halftime lead.##NAJAVA_MECA_8974306##Brazil could have won more convincingly in the second half as they dominated possession, but created few real chances. The best came from Bruno Guimaraes, whose shot was cleared off the line. He later had another attempt, stopped by goalkeeper Fernandez. Ancelotti gave minutes to Beraldo, Richarlison, Gerson, and Danilo in the second half, but none made a real impact… It seems the real work still lies ahead. Brazil has yet to find its ideal team and style of play. So far, it doesn’t look too promising…
