Basking Ridge, USA - On June 16, Carlo Ancelotti, the head coach of the Brazilian national football team, unveiled the starting lineup to his players for their match against Morocco just before departing for the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. This revelation came from left-back Douglas Santos, who noted that the Italian coach wanted to keep the lineup a secret even from his own team until the very last moment, only disclosing it before they all boarded the bus.
In his debut as a World Cup manager, Ancelotti made some surprising choices by opting for Douglas Santos and Roger Ibáñez as the full-backs, with Igor Thiago taking up the striker role. Unfortunately, Brazil did not have an ideal start, settling for a lackluster 1-1 draw against Morocco in Group C of the 2026 World Cup.
During a press conference at the ‘Seleção’ team hotel in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, Douglas Santos explained that he had previously experienced coaches who were similarly secretive about the starting eleven throughout the week to ensure that all players were fully prepared. He emphasized that the mystery surrounding the lineup did not interfere with their focus or preparation for the match, stating, “In that match against Morocco, the coach did that, but we were all ready and concentrated.”
Santos believes that maintaining this level of secrecy allows everyone to prepare thoroughly for their matches, stressing that even a slight loss of concentration in short tournaments could be extremely costly. “If one gets a little distracted in these short tournaments, it can be very expensive,” he warned.
Looking ahead, the five-time world champions are set to face Haiti in Philadelphia on Friday. The Caribbean team, despite losing their opening match against Scotland (0-1), left a positive impression with their performance.
As reported by holanews.com.
