Tiered since landing in Rio de Janeiro, Carlo Ancelotti has been presented with pomp in the national team and celebrated where he spent in recent weeks, visiting sights and presence in Brazilian team games. This Thursday (5), in Guyaquil, had to face the reality that awaited him in the national team.
Brazil drew 0-0 with Ecuador at Monumental Stadium. In his first match under the direction of the Italian coach, the five -time world champion stared at a quality opponent, who occupies second place in the World Cup qualifiers, and got a point, in a truncated, goalless duel.
Although he came to celebrate being ahead of the “best selection in the world”, Ancelotti knew the phase was bad and that the out -of -home confrontation was not easy, against a well -trained rival by Argentine Sebastián Beccacece. If he did not discover the gunpowder in his debut, he set up a firm team that marked safely and found a hard time creating.
In the final whistle, yellow-green formation occupied fourth place in South America’s qualifying tournament to the 2026 World Cup, with 22 points-it could fall fifth on Friday, in case of Victory of Colombia. Ecuador has 24 – even having started with three negative points, by irregular lineup in the previous edition of the qualifiers – and is only behind Argentina.
Ancelotti bet on a much more compact team than the version used by his predecessor, Dorival Júnior. If Brazil in previous games failed to leave large spaces between defense and attack, in Guayaquil, he grouped his athletes in marking, in a 4-1-4-1 that forced the opponent to seek long passes.
With the ball, the exit was made in three players, Marquinhos, Alexsandro and Alex Sandro. The back Vanderson was very open on the right, with Vinicius Junior on the left. And Stephen, who marked on the right, gained the freedom to approach the three midfielders and the center forward Richarlison.
Throughout almost the entire first half, the defenses have stood out. The Brazilian team only had a lighter chance in Stephen’s ball theft on the attacking field, but two errors followed by Pass – Stephen and Gerson – made it difficult for Vinicius Junior, locked by Ordóñez. Casemiro, head, after a corner kick, missed the aim.
Ecuador has come with greater danger in two intersections. In the first, Alisson came out very badly from the goal and had a push -error in the conclusion. In the second, Yeboah could not give the direction he wanted in his head, although he did so with relative freedom, taking advantage of the indecision between Vanderson and Marquinhos.
After the break, Brazil’s difficulties grew a great deal of difficulties, disturbed by the pressure exerted by the rival. When the ball came to the attack, Stephen and Richarlison lived technical difficulties, which is why they were replaced by Martinelli and Matheus Cunha on 19 minutes.
The panorama did not change much, although Casemiro has finalized dangerously, after passing from Vinicius Junior and Gerson’s light cut. Andrey and Andreas Pereira were still fired by Ancelotti, but the two teams showed more caution to avoid defeat in the last minutes than impetus to seek victory, and the score remained immaculate until the final whistle.
World Cup qualifiers
Ecuador 0 x 0 Brazil
Local: Monumental Stadium of Guayaquil, Guayaquil (EQU)
Data: June 5, 2025 (Thursday)
Time: 20h (Brasilia)
Arbitrator: Piero Maza (Chile)
Cards: –
Goals: –
Ecuador: Galíndez; Ordóñez, pacho, hincapié e estupiñán; Vite, Alan franco, moisés caicedo e yboah (kevin rodríguez); Minda (Preciado) E Angulo (Medina)Technical: Sebastián Beccacece
Brazil: Alisson, Vanderson, Marquinhos, Alex and Alex Sandro; Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães (Andreas Pereira) and Gerson (Andrey Santos); Estevão (Gabriel Martinelli), Richarlison (Matheus Cunha) and Vinicius Jr.
Technical: Carlo Ancelotti
