Casemiro and Carlo Ancelotti faced harsh criticism from former Brazil star Neto after Brazil's 1-1 draw with Morocco in their World Cup opener. The match, held in New Jersey, saw Morocco take the lead through Ismael Saibari in the 21st minute, with Vinicius Junior equalizing just 11 minutes later. Despite Brazil's improvement in the second half, Neto was unimpressed.
Neto's Scathing Remarks
Neto, who earned 16 caps for Brazil between 1988 and 1993, did not hold back in his assessment. Speaking via ESPN, he said: 'This Ancelotti is a joke. He picks the team badly. How long have I been saying that Casemiro isn’t fit to play football? [Lucas] Paqueta? Paqueta’s little dance? He’s useless.' Neto also criticized the inclusion of Roger Ibañez and Igor Thiago, suggesting changes like bringing in Danilo Santos, Luiz Henrique, Rayan, and Endrick.
Endrick's Absence Questioned
The 19-year-old Endrick remained an unused substitute, baffling many Brazil fans. Neto questioned: 'What did Endrick do to these people? I can’t understand why he’s not playing and isn’t coming on. It’s amazing how Ancelotti didn’t have any vision regarding substitutions.'
Lucas Leiva on Casemiro's Performance
Former Liverpool and Brazil midfielder Lucas Leiva also targeted Casemiro, stating: 'I think Casemiro is the player, but I think today he looked always late in the challenge, he never looked controlled. Sometimes he was ahead of Bruno [Guimaraes] in the build-up, which should be different. They couldn’t find themselves in these spaces and this is why they never looked like controlling the midfield.' Leiva noted that Fabinho brought stability when he came on, but the midfield overall failed to control the game.
Felipe Melo Criticizes Ancelotti's Selection
Another former Brazil midfielder, Felipe Melo, hit out at Ancelotti for starting Roger Ibañez at right-back in place of the injured Wesley. Melo told SporTV: 'Ancelotti is one of the greatest in history, but you can’t let this slide; he started with the wrong starting eleven. Ibañez shouldn’t have started the game at all. He’s a very good player, but poor guy, he’s not a full-back. First World Cup game and he puts in a guy who’s a centre-back and doesn’t even have the knack for playing as a full-back? There’s Danilo.' Melo also praised Vinicius Junior as Brazil's best player but noted Morocco's superior team performance.
