Carlo Ancelotti never ceases to be Carlo Ancelotti. It doesn’t matter the context, the game… or the city. At the gates of the round of 32 match against Japan in the NRG Stadium of Houston, the Italian coach did his thing again. “All the players are fine. I don’t plan to make many changes to the team. You have to stay calm, okay? Don’t wake me up tomorrow with fanciful ideas to make changes. More or less the same as the other day,” he started in the flash. And, at a press conference, he continued joking with the press. “I don’t want to reveal the eleven. If I give information now you will be calm for tomorrow. I am going to think and you also have to think”.
Competence: “I spoke to them this week. When you choose someone to play, not everyone is happy. This competition is special. It’s the World Cup. You need a player for a minute, for a free kick, a corner. They understand it perfectly. It’s a special moment.”
How do you approach the game?: “We need mentality, heart, we have to be prepared for everything that can happen in a tie. The team is confident and prepared. The routine is going to change by playing at noon. At least we are not going to suffer from the heat due to the structure of the stadium. We are going to play a soccer match. It is important and it is within an important event, but the pressure is overcome by being focused on what needs to be done. We are playing against a great rival.”
He will repeat the eleven: “I don’t know, I don’t want to give the lineup because I don’t want you to be too calm (laughs). I’m going to think of the perfect lineup for tomorrow. If I give the lineup now, you stay calm. If I have to think, you have to think too.”
Raphinha’s injury and Cunha’s entry: “Cunha’s position in the last game gave us an advantage because it is not such a defined position on the field. It is very important to change position to not give too many references to the rival team. The three (Bruno, Paquetá and Cunha) played a very good game in the last two games in that aspect.”
Words from the rival who said that this Brazil is no longer the same: “I’m not going to talk about what they say. We will be focused on the match and the qualities of the rival. We are going to prepare the match well, to work well on what we have to do to avoid problems. We are not going to get into mental games, we are not going to work on that.”
Easy side of the picture?: “I don’t know, I don’t agree. I think every game is difficult, very difficult. There are many things to think about. There is a lot of pressure. I remain convinced that until now there is no clear favorite. It may be that some teams have played better than others, but I don’t see a clear favorite. I think it will be a very balanced World Cup.”
Match in which experience is needed: “Brazil has very expert players in this type of match. It’s not a kill-kill, it’s a kill, because there is no second leg. I don’t want to give the lineup, I don’t want you to be so calm… I think so, that’s how you have to think.”
Neymar and more than 15 minutes: “Neymar is developing very well, he is progressing. I think that during the last week he has improved a lot. It is a shame that he could not train during the entire time he was with us. He can play 15 minutes, obviously he is quite good. It will depend on the context of tomorrow’s game and how the match evolves.”
Game: “The World Cup is a fantastic experience. Football has changed. There is no disorganized team. Everyone studies and learns. There is no clear favorite for the World Cup. I have seen teams with good things, but there is no one that is clearly the best. All teams have things. I was surprised by the offensive and defensive organization of the World Cup.”
An Italian at the head of Brazil: “I feel good, I am Italian. It is a fantastic experience to coach Brazil and I feel very good in this position. Football has changed. There are no longer disorganized teams, they do not exist, because everyone studies, works and learns. There may be teams with less individual quality, that is evident because it is part of genetics, but disorganized or physically bad teams no longer exist. I have been surprised by the defensive organization and the intensity of all the teams and all the coaches.”
Would you sleep well if you didn’t know if you were going to play?: “Well, he would sleep. Do you think that the player does not sleep well? Usually the player who is going to play knows it. It is an individual conversation. The player sleeps well.”
Japanese players: “Working with Japanese is easy. I am following a Japanese player who plays for Parma, Suzuki. He is very good and is very respected in my region.”
