For 45 minutes against Japan in the World Cup Round of 32, Brazil looked exactly like the team its critics feared they could become. Japan sliced through the midfield with surprising ease, Japan’s Kaishu Sano<\/a> exposing the lack of pace from 34-year-olds Casemiro and Danilo before putting the underdogs ahead. It was the same vulnerability Brazil showed in the group stage draw against Morocco, when Casemiro struggled<\/a> to cover ground against quicker opposition. The upset everyone predicted suddenly felt real.<\/p>\n Ancelotti could have stayed patient. Instead, he changed the match, spurring a 2-1 victory.<\/p>\n Lucas Paquet\u00e1, who had struggled<\/a> to influence the game between Japan’s compact defensive lines and injured himself, made way for a lively Endrick at halftime as Brazil committed fully to attack. Rather than forcing play through the congested middle, Ancelotti instructed Vin\u00edcius J\u00fanior to stay wider and stretch Japan’s back line, creating room for Bruno Guimar\u00e3es to dictate possession while the rest of the team attacked from the flanks. Brazil accepted the risk of leaving space behind them because losing cautiously was never going to be enough.<\/p>\n The adjustment completely changed the rhythm of the match. Japan, who had defended courageously for a half, suddenly found themselves pinned inside their own half. Cross after cross rained into the penalty area, Brazil’s press became relentless, and every clearance seemed to come straight back. Roger Bonet perfectly summarized<\/a> Ancelotti’s influence, noting that Brazil initially tried to attack centrally before recognizing Japan’s compact defensive block wouldn’t allow it. Rather than stubbornly persisting with the original plan, Ancelotti simply adapted, “shifting the attack back to the wings and trusting the qualities of his players”<\/p>\n Casemiro’s afternoon also became one of redemption<\/a>. After a difficult opening half in which his lack of mobility was exposed and an early yellow card left him walking a tightrope, the veteran midfielder rose highest to head home Brazil’s equalizer. It didn’t erase the concerns about an aging midfield that has looked vulnerable throughout the tournament, but it reminded everyone why Ancelotti continues to trust experienced players in the biggest moments.<\/p>\n Japan deserve enormous credit for the discipline they showed, but once they retreated completely into a low block they invited wave after wave of Brazilian pressure. The same mistake South Africa made against Canada<\/a> one day earlier was repeated here. Brazil finished with 69 percent possession and 19 shots to Japan’s five, while Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki was eventually overwhelmed by the volume of dangerous deliveries into his box. Deep into extra time, Bruno Guimar\u00e3es threaded a perfectly weighted pass into Gabriel Martinelli’s<\/a> run, and the Arsenal winger calmly finished to complete a comeback that had felt inevitable for much of the second half.<\/p>\n This wasn’t a flawless performance, nor should anyone pretend it was. Brazil’s midfield can still be exposed by younger, quicker opponents, and there will be questions about whether the back line can withstand sustained pressure against a team such as Norway<\/a> if Erling Haaland awaits in the Round of 16. Mexico<\/a>, Ecuador<\/a> or England<\/a> would present entirely different tactical problems later in the tournament.<\/p>\n Yet that’s almost beside the point. This Brazil side is still discovering what it wants to be under Ancelotti. It doesn’t have the effortless swagger of the great Sele\u00e7\u00e3o teams of previous generations, nor is it built around one superstar carrying the attack. Instead, it is evolving from game to game, with Ancelotti willing to abandon ideas that aren’t working, trust his remarkable depth, and allow players like Vin\u00edcius J\u00fanior, Endrick and Martinelli the freedom to decide matches.<\/p>\n While Vinicus didn’t find the net in this match, he had one of the best attacks of the tournament, the ball pinging off the post after a perfect run. He’s still a true game changer, a player unlocked by Ancelotti.<\/p>\nBrazil Is Still a Work in Progress<\/h2>\n