EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Brazil’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti noted that his players appeared to be affected by “nerves” during a lackluster start in their opening World Cup match against Morocco, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
A stunning goal from Vinícius Júnior helped Brazil secure a point at MetLife Stadium after Morocco had taken control early in the match, deservedly scoring first through Ismael Saibari
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“It was a challenging game, especially in the first half,” Ancelotti remarked.
“The team seemed a bit anxious, and their nerves showed. We performed better in the second half, but it remained difficult, and I’m confident we’ll improve.”
Vinícius also expressed awareness of the team’s rocky start.
“We began the match poorly,” noted Vinícius, who netted his second World Cup goal. “It’s clear we need to keep possession better and improve our movement.”
When asked how he could assist his players in managing their mental state before their next match against Haiti on Friday in Philadelphia, Ancelotti stated he would analyze the factors that contributed to their shaky performance against Morocco.
“That’s something we need to investigate,” he remarked.
“There’s significant pressure, which is natural. Gradually, we’ll learn to handle it better.”
After narrowly avoiding a loss in their opening World Cup game for the first time since 1934, Ancelotti faced a tense post-match press conference where his decisions on team selection and tactics were scrutinized.
Nevertheless, the Italian coach expressed satisfaction with securing a point while maintaining his “absolute” confidence that Brazil will improve as the tournament progresses.
“We need to reevaluate our performance,” he emphasized.
“We were quite unbalanced in the first half, but showed improvement after halftime. The outcome isn’t bad. You don’t win the World Cup in the first match.”
“I’m neither disappointed nor satisfied. There’s work to be done, which is normal. Morocco played excellently; they are a solid and well-organized team. It was a tough match.
“There are many reasons why a World Cup debut might not go as planned. Our goal is to qualify, advance to the next round, and continuously improve.”
Brazil’s star player Neymar was unavailable for the match as he is recovering from a torn right calf.
Report contributed by The Associated Press.