Brazil vs Chile: Luiz Henrique’s dance, Paquetá’s return, and Estêvão’s personality provide good news for Ancelotti; analysis

The Brazilian Football Confederation made an effort to make the game against Chile a step towards reconnecting the fans with the national team, which will not play in the country again before the World Cup. There was strong pre-match promotion on social media and a performance by Ivete Sangalo before the kick-off. But on the pitch, it was clear how to win over the public: with engaging, daring football that results in goals. Almost all of this can be credited to Luiz Henrique. In his return to Maracanã since leaving Botafogo, the striker pleased those who missed him and changed the face of Brazil. He did not score in the 3-0 victory, but made the audience enjoy watching the national team again. ‘I thought I had to be the Luiz Henrique who played in Petrópolis when I was playing with my friends. I played freely, I played loosely,’ the player explained when discussing his return to the team. ‘When I was at the hotel, I knelt down before the team talk. I asked God to let me be the Luiz Henrique from Vale do Carangola. To play happy, to help my teammates, and also to play for my family, who are at Maracanã supporting me.’ Luiz came off the bench and showed coach Carlo Ancelotti that the cold in Russia didn’t change his football. Despite his short time in the national team, his record is impressive: he has a goal contribution every 44 minutes on the field in the qualifiers. He left Ancelotti with a good doubt for the Italian to arrange the team in the upcoming matches. Next Tuesday, Brazil concludes its qualifiers campaign against Bolivia in the high altitude of El Alto. Luiz was not the only one to shine. Paquetá, who also came off the bench, had a good performance and scored on his return to the national team. Estêvão, the right-wing starter, was another who did not shy away and put on a performance with personality – including a bicycle kick goal. Even though the opponent posed little threat, Ancelotti certainly gathered some good news from the Maracanã. The start of the game required patience from the fans. Without needing the three points, the Brazilian players tested plays, movements, and sought to get to know each other better. With Chile compactly defending behind (with a line of five, and sometimes six), the wall in front of the opponent’s area posed a challenge for Ancelotti’s team. Without a playmaker and little space to operate in the central zone, trying to create there was not the best path. Nevertheless, the national team persisted. And the lack of success made the match dull. The paths only opened up when the team started to focus more on the lateral corridors. And it was from the left side that the beautiful build-up to the first goal came. A play that, by the way, shows how the players do not have to stick to fixed positions. It involved three attackers in the same band. At 37 minutes, Douglas Santos advanced there and exchanged passes with Martinelli and João Pedro. The full-back received the ball back and set up Raphinha, who shot past goalkeeper Vigourox. He managed to touch the ball, but Estêvão ensured it entered with a bicycle kick at the far post. The goal injected confidence in the Brazilians to continue attacking through the wings. But intensity was lacking. The crowd noticed. They started to ask for who they knew would inject that rhythm into the game: Luiz Henrique. Ancelotti did not hesitate to comply. And he was rewarded. The second-half substitutions, mainly Luiz and Paquetá, changed the face of Brazil. The former Botafogo player sparked the game with his movement and dribbles. Meanwhile, the ex-Flamengo midfielder brought more quality passing. The Chilean defense crumbled. In the 26th minute, Luiz received from Paquetá in the middle and, in a beautiful play, dribbled to the left. With no space to score, he crossed perfectly for the midfielder to head in at the far post and double the lead. A symbolic goal, marking his new phase in the national team, now cleared of allegations of match-fixing in English football. ‘I am very happy after everything I’ve been through in the last two years. Now, I can play my light football, and I hope to help the national team a lot,’ celebrated Paquetá. Four minutes later, pressure from Kaio Jorge forced the goalkeeper to make a mistake. The ball fell to Pantera Negra, who combined with Bruno Guimarães, dribbled past the defender, and hit the crossbar. Bruno then scored on the rebound. Finally, the Maracanã was thrilled with the national team. They chanted ‘olé’ and cheered at every new dribble by Luiz Henrique. In the end, it was a shame his goal did not come. But it was clear to everyone that he was the standout player.