You could call it a make-or-break moment for Brazil as they head into the Miami fixture: get the win and you’re in the Round of 32. But don’t expect Carlo Ancelotti to put his hand on his heart and say for sure that Neymar will start. The coach has made it clear the forward is fit to go, while also confirming the loss of Raphinha, so the final word on the team sheet is being held back until the last minute.
Selection call will go to the wire
When he was with the press on Tuesday, Ancelotti put Neymar in the mix after some trouble with his calf, yet he would not give you an answer on if he will be on the pitch. He pointed out the forward has been in training all week and what a difference his kind of quality can make when you are trying to build some steam.
He had a bit of a laugh about the matter before getting more serious. “He could do 90 minutes,” the coach said, then with a wry aside, “walking.” In reality, it’s a tactical choice, not a medical one, as to whether to put him in from the off or have him come on later. The option is there.
Why Brazil’s plan hinges on fitness and form
Neymar, 34, is back after a long layoff from the national team but has not put in an appearance at this World Cup yet. After a 1-1 with Morocco and a 3-0 put in on Haiti, there is plenty of confidence in the camp, but the conversation on how to balance the attack is far from over.
Even in rehab, Ancelotti has been full of praise for his demeanour. You don’t need to be on the field to have an effect; the coach says he is the one with the know-how, setting the bar in training for the younger lads. And right now, that sort of intangible is in short supply.
Then you have the issue of Raphinha. A hamstring problem means he is out for the Scotland game – he had to be taken off in the 40th against Haiti. Ancelotti won’t say who is in for him, only that he will put out the best he can for the occasion.
Here is the bottom line from Ancelotti on the roster:
– Neymar has trained well and is in
– We haven’t decided on the start
– If we have to, he can go 90
– We will have the right line-up for the job
Scotland promise a hard test
They come in with a win and a loss, and they are still in with a chance of the knockouts, one way or another. Ancelotti is looking for a tough, no-nonsense game from them, and he has pointed to the like of Scott McTominay and John McGinn as evidence of that.
The feeling in the Brazil camp is that they are on an upswing. “The first one wasn’t our best, the second was better, and we have the belief the third will be even better,” he put it. It is about making progress with the right head on your shoulders.
Logistics and focus ahead of kick-off
Things were a little up in the air when the plane from New Jersey to Miami was held up, which put the media work off to a late hour. Ancelotti doesn’t make much of it. “We had a perfect run until then,” he said. “These things happen in a long tournament.”
He is under no illusion about the task at hand. There is the quality and the self-belief for a good run in the World Cup. “In football anything can happen,” he said, “but we want to make it a nice one for everyone.” That is the mindset for a night in Miami where you have to have both the result and the rhythm.
What to watch next
Don’t be surprised if the word on Neymar comes right before the whistle, with Ancelotti weighing up the risk and the state of play. One way or another, having him in the fold is a morale thing, especially with Raphinha out. Up against a side like Scotland, it is the small details that will tell in Group C.
