Having stuttered their way to FIFA World Cup qualification, Brazil are now hoping to move through the gears with Carlo Ancelotti at the helm.
A fifth-place finish in the CONMEBOL table has facilitated plenty of angst in a football-crazy nation, with lofty expectations thrust upon the Seleção no matter the context.
However, they’ve seen eternal rivals Argentina emerge as South America’s dominant force so far this decade, and their 4–1 defeat to the world champions earlier this year hastened the need for change. Ancelotti’s start as manager was rather inauspicious, but the fifth game of his tenure returned a performance aligned with Brazil’s samba utopia.
They were excellent in tough conditions on Friday, thumping South Korea 5–0 to kick off their Asia tour. Japan are up next for the Seleção, who face the dominant Asian outfit in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Here’s how you can tune into the friendly around the world.
