Brazil team received an expensive lesson

Brazil unexpectedly lost 2-3 to Japan in a friendly match on the evening of October 14.

In the glittering Tokyo nights, the yellow and green team fell – not because their opponents were more prestigious, but because they were not ready. The second defeat under Carlo Ancelotti not only ended their unbeaten run, but also exposed the growing gap between expectations and reality.

But if you look deeper, this is not a tragedy. It is the truest reflection of Brazil at the moment: beautiful, talented, but incomplete.

Brazil's normal defeat

Ancelotti was not surprised. He proactively rotated eight positions in the starting lineup - a bold but necessary decision.

The World Cup is a short tournament, where today’s stability does not guarantee tomorrow. Injuries, form, inspiration… everything can change in an instant. A wise coach needs to foresee these situations, and Ancelotti understands: to go far, Brazil must have a backup plan, must know how to lose to learn.

Brazil played well in the first half, but badly in the second half.

The match against Japan was a real test - and the Japanese, as usual, did not give anyone a chance to learn without paying the price. The first half seemed to favor Brazil when they led 2-0, but the score was deceptive.

In fact, the game was quite even, with the blue team even being the better organizer at times. When Ancelotti tried out a new defense, it was quickly eroded by Japan's high pressing, speed and discipline.

Two consecutive mistakes by Fabricio Bruno - who reluctantly became the center of attention - and Carlos Augusto's faltering against Takefusa Kubo and Ritsu Doan, caused the Brazilian defense to collapse in a chain reaction. But blaming them is a superficial way of looking at it.

The problem is structural: when the satellites around Casemiro and Bruno Guimaraes are not close enough to help escape the pressing, the entire backline becomes fragile. Brazil passes long, has less possession, and loses the rhythm of play that is their strength.

However, there were some positives to be had from the game. Lucas Paqueta’s presence gave Brazil more depth in midfield. When he or Guimaraes dropped back to join the build-up play, the team became more flexible and creative.

Paulo Henrique and Gabriel Martinelli’s goals both came from deliberate runs, where individual skill blended with collective thought. These moments showed that, despite their inconsistencies, Brazil still have an abundance of talent – it’s just a matter of organisation.

But as the game moved into the second half, that feeling disappeared. Control was lost along with the tempo. Brazil rushed their attacks, lost connection between the lines, and allowed opponents to exploit spaces easily. This was the limit Ancelotti needed to overcome: a team can shine in a few moments, but to win a title, they must learn to live within their own rhythm.

Lessons for Brazil

In fact, this defeat does not say much about Japan - a team that has already established its own style of play - but says more about Brazil. The yellow team is in a transitional phase: still maintaining individual class, but has not yet found collective harmony.

Ancelotti certainly learned many lessons from the defeat against Japan.

Ancelotti, who built winning machines at Milan and Real Madrid, knows that to go far, he needs more than just stars. The Italian needs a coherent operating mechanism, a team that knows how to react when pushed into difficulty.

Because the World Cup waits for no one. There are only a few months left, and every friendly now is no longer an audition, but a mandatory class. Names like Marquinhos, Militão, Douglas Santos or Gabriel Magalhaes will return, and when they do, the defensive picture will be clearer. But above all, Brazil must learn to endure, to control emotions and tempo - something the Japanese have just shown them the value of.

Ancelotti left Tokyo with a calm face. He did not panic, because he knew: defeats like this are often more valuable than victories. They show limits, and open up directions. Brazil, with its young legs and old ambition, still has enough material to dream. But dreams can only become reality when they know how to face the truth – starting from this Tokyo night.

Losing to stay sober. For Ancelotti, sometimes the road to the World Cup must go through a few scratches - so that when they step onto the highest podium, nothing can make them tremble anymore.

Source: https://znews.vn/tuyen-brazil-nhan-bai-hoc-dat-gia-post1593809.html