As France secured their second goal at Gillette Stadium, a predominantly Brazilian crowd began chanting the name of the absent Neymar, reaffirming the claim for the inclusion of Santos star in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad.
The Brazil coach declined to take a position on the chants, affirming the focus should be on the players on the field during the 2-1 loss.
“We should be talking about those who were here, who played, who gave their all, who stepped up, and who worked hard. I am satisfied,” noted the Italian, who also pointed out that “there is a lot of competition” for a spot on Brazil’s final World Cup squad.
Neymar’s hopes of playing in the World Cup are fading as he struggles to rediscover his best form with Santos. However, former teammates like Casemiro still trust in his talent.
“We know the quality Neymar possesses. He is indispensable for any national team, especially when he is in form,” the Manchester United midfielder said following the friendly in Massachusetts. “For my generation, he ranks in the top three: Cristiano, Messi, and Neymar. I am a close friend of his, and it is not my place to decide who they are going to bring in.”
Despite having Real Madrid‘s Vinícius Júnior and Barcelona‘s Raphinha leading the attack, Brazil lacked offensive power against France. Ancelotti defended the pair, citing a muscle injury as the reason Raphinha was substituted at halftime.
“I think Raphinha played very well. He had some muscle discomfort at the end of the first half and we had to substitute him, but he had many opportunities and very good movement off the ball. And Vini always tries; he always makes the difference. A striker cannot always score, but the work done by both of them was good,” said Ancelotti.
Raphinha will be evaluated on Friday to determine if he can play in Brazil’s next friendly on Tuesday against Croatia in Orlando, Florida.
The Italian coach saw positive aspects in the team’s performance, which improved in the second half, especially after Luiz Henrique’s introduction, but he could not avoid defeat.
“I think today’s game makes it very clear to me that we can compete with the best teams in the world. I have no doubt about that,” Ancelotti said.
“We played against a very strong team with a lot of quality, and we competed until the very last moment, while the opponent was wasting time to secure the victory. I am convinced that we will fight for the World Cup with all our energy.”
Information from ESPN Brasil was used in this report.
