Carlo Ancelotti has revealed he was keeping Neymar in reserve for extra time during Brazil’s dramatic 2-1 round of 32 victory over Japan at Houston Stadium on 29 June, explaining why the 34-year-old remained unused on the bench despite audible calls from the crowd and the high stakes of a World Cup knockout match.
“I was saving Neymar for extra time. I spoke to him. If we hadn’t equalised, he would have come on at 60, 65 minutes. I didn’t want to make a change because the team had control of the game,” Ancelotti told SporTV after the match.
The plan was ultimately rendered unnecessary by Gabriel Martinelli’s late winner, which arrived just as extra time appeared inevitable. Teenager Rayan pressed relentlessly to win possession before feeding Bruno Guimaraes, who found Martinelli drifting through the Japanese defence to deliver a finish that sent Brazil through to the last 16.
Neymar has featured for just 14 minutes in this tournament, making his debut as a substitute against Scotland on 24 June after missing the opening two group matches with a calf injury. Even with Raphinha sidelined, the former Paris Saint-Germain forward has slipped down the pecking order, with Endrick and Martinelli now preferred from the bench.
Ancelotti was careful not to diminish Neymar’s importance to the squad. “We have a lot of options, on the bench and on the pitch,” he said, while making clear the hierarchy that currently exists within his attacking unit.
Brazil’s coach was otherwise full of praise for his side’s resilience. “We deserved to win. We conceded, but the team didn’t lose patience. Japan are not an easy team. They’re an organised side, very intense. The fact that we deserved to win is very important,” he added.
Brazil will face the winner of the Ivory Coast and Norway tie in the round of 16.
