A bullish Marquinhos has warned that Brazil are improving with every passing fixture as they prepare for a high-stakes FIFA World Cup round of 32 clash against a dangerous Japan side on Monday night.
Japan famously defeated Carlo Ancelotti’s men 3-2 on home soil in an international friendly last October, recording a historic first-ever victory over the South American powerhouse. Coupled with another eye-catching 1-0 win against England at Wembley, the Samurai Blue entered the global showpiece in North America heavily tipped as the tournament’s ultimate dark horses.
The two sides lock horns in Houston with a coveted place in the round of 16 on the line, but Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos struck an immensely confident tone ahead of the encounter. The 32-year-old center-back, who was notably among a handful of key senior defenders missing from that friendly defeat, insists the squad has fully absorbed the harsh lessons from that evening.
“I think that really was a massive learning experience for us,” Marquinhos reflected. “Everything that we have been through as a collective over the last few years has brought us to this exact point, to this present moment at the World Cup. It is a true test, and our coach really saw exactly what he needed to see from that previous match.”
“I believe that since then, we have grown quite a bit. We have evolved significantly as a squad, executing a lot of tactical adjustments, and over the last few matches I think we have truly matured as a team.”
Marquinhos was full of praise for the highly experienced Italian manager, a serial winner at the domestic club level who has brought immediate stability and tactical nous to the Seleção setup. Brazil, chasing a record-extending sixth World Cup crown, endured a sluggish start to their campaign after being held to a 1-1 draw by Morocco in their opening fixture, before clicking into gear with consecutive 3-0 triumphs over Haiti and Scotland.
The South Americans appear to be growing into the tournament after surviving that initial exam against the Moroccans. Marquinhos admitted the squad had faced internal hurdles prior to the tournament.
“There is always an immense amount of pride when playing for the national team,” he noted. “But we were not initially coming together as a unit until the crucial adjustments that our coach implemented. He is an incredibly intelligent manager who knows exactly how to improve individual players.”
The veteran defender also referenced the period of administrative and on-field turmoil that plagued the national camp before Ancelotti officially took the reins in May last year. “Everything has beautifully come together now. We know the sheer quality we possess, and we have a fantastic head coach guiding us.”
The 67-year-old Ancelotti, widely revered as one of the most acclaimed tacticians in the modern sport, cut a typically relaxed figure during his pre-match press duties.
“We need a combination of things tomorrow: a strong mind, a strong heart, and absolute clarity,” Ancelotti explained. “We have to be mentally prepared for absolutely anything that might unfold during a knockout fixture, because a tremendous amount can happen over 90 minutes. I believe the squad is entirely ready — they are motivated, and they are playing with high confidence.”
Embarking on his very first World Cup campaign as an international head coach, Ancelotti insisted that no standalone tournament favourite has cleanly emerged from the pack just yet, though he confessed to being deeply impressed by the tactical discipline of the Japanese.
“Japan are legitimately one of the best teams in the world right now,” Ancelotti warned. “It might be fair to say that a few teams performed slightly better than others during the initial group stage — with reigning champions Argentina and France looking especially impressive — but I don’t believe a clear-cut favourite has truly stood out from the rest.”
