Ancelotti: Patience Was the Key to Victory, and This Is Why Neymar Didn't Participate
Brazilian national team coach Carlo Ancelotti expressed his happiness with the thrilling victory his team achieved over Japan with a score of 2-1, qualifying for the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, affirming that patience was the key to the victory.
Ancelotti said in statements after the match: 'In the end, we managed to achieve the win, and the key to the match was patience. Overall, we performed well, but I think we could have taken better advantage of some opportunities during the first half.'
The Italian coach commented on his decision to keep Casemiro on the field, and Martinelli, who came on as a substitute, scoring the winning goal, saying: 'I didn't want to replace Casemiro because I know his playing style well, and all the players played an excellent match both at the collective and individual levels.'
Regarding Lucas Paqueta's injury, who left the field at the beginning of the second half, Ancelotti explained: 'His departure was a big loss for us, and I don't know the nature of the injury yet, and he will undergo medical examinations to determine his status.'
He added about the Japanese team: 'We faced a very strong and well-organized team defensively, but I believe we deserved the win considering the performance we delivered throughout the match.'
He concluded his talk by revealing the reason for Neymar's non-participation, saying: 'I spoke with Neymar before the match, and I informed him that he would participate in extra time if the draw continued. Had we not scored the equalizing goal, I would have brought him on in the 60th or 65th minute, but after achieving the equalizer, I preferred not to change the plan because the team was controlling the course of play.'
Ancelotti said in statements after the match: 'In the end, we managed to achieve the win, and the key to the match was patience. Overall, we performed well, but I think we could have taken better advantage of some opportunities during the first half.'
The Italian coach commented on his decision to keep Casemiro on the field, and Martinelli, who came on as a substitute, scoring the winning goal, saying: 'I didn't want to replace Casemiro because I know his playing style well, and all the players played an excellent match both at the collective and individual levels.'
Regarding Lucas Paqueta's injury, who left the field at the beginning of the second half, Ancelotti explained: 'His departure was a big loss for us, and I don't know the nature of the injury yet, and he will undergo medical examinations to determine his status.'
He added about the Japanese team: 'We faced a very strong and well-organized team defensively, but I believe we deserved the win considering the performance we delivered throughout the match.'
He concluded his talk by revealing the reason for Neymar's non-participation, saying: 'I spoke with Neymar before the match, and I informed him that he would participate in extra time if the draw continued. Had we not scored the equalizing goal, I would have brought him on in the 60th or 65th minute, but after achieving the equalizer, I preferred not to change the plan because the team was controlling the course of play.'
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