Neymar came very close to coming on against Japan. Left on the bench during Brazil’s 2-1 win in the World Cup round of 32, the Auriverde number 10 was nevertheless among the options considered by Carlo Ancelotti.
No Neymar for the very difficult match against Japan. Could Ney have unlocked the situation earlier? No one will ever be able to say for sure. Carlo Ancelotti had his plan. The Brazil coach intended to bring on his attacking midfielder depending on how the match unfolded. But Brazil’s quick equalizer in the second half ultimately changed his plans. Ancelotti preferred to preserve his team’s balance rather than alter a structure that was working.
Ancelotti chose balance over Neymar
“I was waiting for extra time to bring Neymar on,” the Italian coach explained. “I spoke with him and told him that if we had not equalized, he would come on in the 60th minute. We equalized in the 56th and I did not want to change the team’s structure. We had control of the match.”
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Already barely used since the start of the World Cup, Neymar has so far played only 15 minutes against Scotland in the group stage. At 34, the former PSG star must therefore wait a little longer to truly launch his World Cup campaign.
His next opportunity could come on Sunday, in the round of 16, against Norway or Ivory Coast. It remains to be seen whether Ancelotti will finally give him a bigger role in a Brazil side that is moving forward, but still handling the Neymar situation with caution.
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