PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - When Carlo Ancelotti named his squad for the World Cup, he had to find a fine balance between the nation wanting Neymar in the Brazil squad and the health of the winger, and as they set up to face Haiti on Friday in Philadelphia, that balance is teetering. Neymar missed Brazil's opening draw with Morocco and didn't travel to Philadelphia for this match as the likelihood that he will miss the group stage increases.
Neymar has been a national hero, scoring 79 goals in 129 appearances, but a World Cup is something missing from his impressive trophy cabinet. That's one reason why, despite the 34-year-old only playing 15 games for Santos in all competitions, he was in discussion to be on this squad, beating out other high-profile attackers like Chelsea's Joao Pedro, who can also feature on the wing.
When he picked the squad, Ancelotti opened up on the struggles that bringing the best 26 players to the World Cup brought, and the hope was that Neymar would feature during the group stage. There's still time for that to happen with their final group stage game against Scotland on June 24, but when he hasn't played a match since May 17 for Santos, there will also be a need to work his way back to fitness.
It's a fine balance in squad building, but Ancelotti's gamble to bring Neymar has now left Brazil with only 25 players available from their 26-man roster. While one can't say that Joao Pedro would've changed the Morocco result, he would've given Ancelotti more options to deal with. Regret isn't something that the Brazil manager is going to express at this stage, and he knows the pressure that comes with the job while also embracing it.
"It's a privilege to be here to be the coach of the national team, and I have to handle the pressure. I think I'm experienced enough to manage that," Ancelotti said. "[Following drawing Morocco] I was criticized and was sad, but you don't win the World Cup in the first match. I think we will find the solutions."
The call for solutions is important as Brazil finds themselves without a natural right back to face Haiti. Against the Conacacaf minnows, Brazil will likely have enough attacking power to secure a win, but they'll have to use this match to experiment and figure out the best way to get the national team back on track.
"We're going to have some changes, but no huge changes," Ancelotti said. "Maybe players who are well rested and more experienced, because we are looking for improvement. We have high-quality players who are fast, who are powerful, but we can improve the team, and we will improve the team."
That's Danilo's music that you're hearing there. Against Morocco, Roger Ibanez struggled at right back, with Danilo entering in the second half to settle the team. The Flamengo man has generally played as a center back but can deputize in wider positions. With the expanded tournament, Ancelotti doesn't need to have his team at their best right this second, but he also doesn't have much time to get things ticking over.
That job is harder without Neymar on the pitch, but with the 25 players who are available, Brazil will need to bring the magic against Haiti to reset the vibes. A narrow victory will only lead to more questions about how the squad should set up, but a crooked number could ease some of the pressure on Brazil's manager.
How to watch Brazil vs. Haiti
Date: Friday, June 19 | Time: 8:30 p.m. ET Location: Lincoln Financial Field -- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania TV: FOX (Eng), Telemundo (Spa) | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free) Odds: Brazil -1099; Draw +1000; Haiti +2200
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