Carlo Ancelotti's 2026 World Cup campaign has been an unmitigated disaster in its opening stage. To emerge from the New York New Jersey Stadium with a 1-1 draw, Selecao must be counting themselves extremely lucky.
Despite the 1-1 scoreline, Brazil were atrocious. There was no structure or organization; they were completely destroyed by a much more effective Morocco.
The tactical detail: Suffocated in the center
The key to this game was undeniably midfield. Morocco's incredible intensity and brilliant press utterly suffocated Ancelotti's double pivot. When Brazil's center-backs attempted to build out from the back, there was absolutely no avenue for a short pass to one of their midfielders.
The midfield advanced quickly to jump the line in their tight block, meaning that Brazil were always on the defensive. This forced them into hurried, aimless long passes which came back as quickly as they went forward.
They simply couldn't get into their midfield and build up. It was impossible to retain possession, they couldn't win any second balls, and the defense was a lot more vulnerable without the shielding from their midfield. When Morocco attacked they could exploit gaps, moving the ball smoothly from defense to attack.
The Barcelona anchor: Raphinha isolated
The first and most obvious victim of Brazil's midfield capitulation was FC Barcelona's Raphinha. On the right side of the midfield, where he was tasked with providing width. But he simply didn't. Because of Brazil's failure to successfully progress the ball through the center, Raphinha was forced deeper and deeper into his own half just to be on the ball.
Without a playmaker to bridge the gap between midfield and attack, Raphinha's excellent passing ability and cutting in could simply not be utilized. He spent the entire game doing more defensive runs, than attack sprints, and when Morocco shifted to counter them on the right they simply double-teamed Vinicius on the left with their now concentrated weight there.
The ultimate solution: Is Neymar the only answer?
What was abundantly clear against Morocco is that Brazil need Neymar for them to stand a chance against elite tactical systems. The 1-1 draw does a good job of hiding the true picture. They lacked an outlet in attack, a way to retain possession and break the pressing game.
History dictates that against such a tightly pressed midfield, the ultimate solution has been Neymar dropping deep and receiving the ball under physical pressure. With his ability to retain possession and bring others into play under duress, he provides an essential way of beating the press.
What's next for Brazil?
Ancelotti has got some massive work to do. The 1-1 draw is more a statistical lucky escape than a reflection of the team's ability. Unless they can find a way to beat high pressing opponents and give their talented wingers the ball more effectively, their chance of a sixth World Cup star is over.
Now everything hinges on Neymar's fitness and the medical staff because Brazil are completely lost without their number 10.
Add us as a preferred source on Google