Brazil’s World Cup dreams came to an end with a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Norway in the round of 16, but much of the post-match discussion centered on the missed penalty.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side had chances to take the lead early in the game, but Bruno Guimarães’ spot-kick was saved by Norwegian goalkeeper Orjan Nyland.
The moment proved costly as Erling Haaland then scored twice to send Norway into the quarter-finals.
Neymar pulled one back from the penalty spot in the closing stages, but it wasn’t enough to save Brazil.
This result was one of the biggest shocks of this tournament.
Ancelotti explains Brazil’s penalty order
After the match, Ancelotti revealed that Vinicius Junior was not in Brazil’s top five penalty takers, based on the team’s internal data.
As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Ancelotti said:
“We looked at some statistics and the best player was Rafinha. The best player available was Neymar, then Igor Thiago, then Bruno Guimaraes and then Martinelli.”
This explanation is important as many fans were quick to question why Vinicius did not take the penalty.
But Ancelotti says the decision was not based on reputation. It came from preparation, data and the players available at the time.
The Brazil coach also defended Guimarães despite the mistake, saying: “From our point of view, Bruno was the best on the pitch.”
Bruno should not be held responsible for this matter.
It would be unfair to turn Brazil’s defeat into a story about Bruno Guimarães. Yes, the penalty miss was a crucial moment, but Brazil had plenty of attacking talent and plenty of time to recover.
The bigger concern was Brazil’s lack of rhythm in open play. Norway were physically and clinically organized, while Brazil seemed too cautious for a long game.
It makes sense for Ancelotti to defend Bruno. It hurts to miss a penalty, but it doesn’t take away from a good overall performance. Brazil was sent off for more than one kick.
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