SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil held Ecuador to a 0-0 draw Thursday in a South American World Cup qualifying game that marked Carlo Ancelotti’s debut as national team coach. The match in Guayaquil offered few scoring opportunities for either team.
Ecuador edged closer to its direct World Cup spot by maintaining second place in the round robin competition with 24 points. Brazil is in fourth place with 22 points. The top six teams in South America qualify automatically for the 2026 World Cup.
Also on Thursday, Paraguay moved into third spot in the standings with 24 points with a 2-0 home win over Uruguay, which dropped to fifth. Matías Galarza scored the opener in the 13th minute and Julio Enciso added a second from the spot in the 81st.
World Cup champion Argentina, which has already secured its place at the 2026 global tournament, was playing 10th-place Chile later Thursday.
Ancelotti’s changes
AnceIottti made a lot of lineup changes compared with his predecessor, Dorival Júnior, who was fired after the team’s 4-0 defeat at Argentina.
The 65-year-old Italian coach gave Vinicius Júnior Brazil’s No. 10, brought veteran midfielder Casemiro and striker Richarlison back into the starting lineup, gave a debut to defender Alex and played teenager Estêvão on the left wing as a replacement to suspended Raphinha.
Brazil appeared more defensive from the start against Ecuador, which is unbeaten in its last 14 home games.
Brazil’s best chance came in the 22nd, when Vinicius shot from close range and was stopped by goalkeeper Gonzalo Valle.
“Ecuador are more solid, they had been playing well. Little by little we will grow. We had a strong, solid defensive system tonight,” Casemiro said after the match. “It’s an immense joy to come back and do well … be picked by such an amazing coach.”
Vinicius said Ancelotti “is yet to show his game plan” for Brazil.
“We will manage. The World Cup is right there and we need to be together to do well at the end of South American qualifying and World Cup preparations,” the striker said.
Brazil can qualify for the World Cup with a win over Paraguay next week, as long as its cushion over the seventh-place team is larger than six points.
Friday’s games
Colombia takes on Peru and Venezuela challenges Bolivia on Friday. While the Colombians could overtake Brazil in the standings with a win, the Venezuelans and Bolivians will face off in a match that could prove decisive for seventh spot.
The seventh place team in South American qualifying will advance to an intercontinental playoff for a spot in the World Cup.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Mauricio Savarese, The Associated Press
