International Football
Brazil’s best shooters should have taken penalties first, says Klinsmann
Brazil’s quarter-final defeat on penalties came as a huge shock after the tournament favourites were knocked out by Croatia but the South American side lost because their best shooters did not step up first in the shootout, Juergen Klinsmann said on Monday.
Croatia, the 2018 runners-up, stunned Brazil 4-2 on penalties after Marquinhos and Rodrygo failed to convert.
Brazil’s joint all-time top scorer Neymar — who was fifth in line in the shootout — did not even get the opportunity to take his penalty after his team mates missed.
“We were freaking out, it was real drama. We tried to discuss the difference between the drama from the Brazil game compared to the Argentina v Netherlands game and we came up with some ideas,” Klinsmann said at a Technical Study Group briefing.
“After conceding the equaliser in the 117th minute, Brazil had no time to switch gears. From the disappointment of conceding a last minute goal to the penalty shootout, there was no time to settle and approach the shootout positively.
“For Brazil, they should have maybe put their best shooter first, set the tone with the best penalty taker you have and then go down the rankings.”
That was not the case with their South American rivals Argentina, however, who recovered from the shock of conceding a last-gasp equaliser in normal time to the Netherlands before prevailing 4-3 in the shootout.
Lionel Messi was the first to step up for Argentina and converted his penalty with aplomb, immediately putting pressure on the Dutch as Emiliano Martinez saved the first two Dutch penalties from Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis.
“With Argentina, they had extra time to play, even with the shock of the (Wout) Weghorst equaliser in the last minute,” Klinsmann added.
“They had 30 minutes more to play. At the end of the game they were far more clearer (in the head) going into the penalty shootout.”
Klinsmann also praised England’s quarter-final performance against reigning champions France, saying the positive approach from Gareth Southgate’s side will take them far with the young talent they have coming through the ranks.
“Overall it was very positive from England. France v England should have been a semi-final or final. Unfortunately one of them had to go home,” Klinsmann said.
“It’s still a team in growth, this is a team that can get better over the years. They have a lot of talent coming through, they’re getting better and more experienced after three positive tournaments. There’s more to come from this England side.”
-Reuters
Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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In a compelling twist of football destiny, Davide Ancelotti is stepping into his own spotlight as he begins his first head coaching role at Brazilian club Botafogo—just months after parting ways with his legendary father, Carlo Ancelotti, at Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old has been appointed as Botafogo’s new manager, the club announced on Tuesday, following the sacking of Renato Paiva. Davide, who has spent the last decade working alongside his father at some of Europe’s top clubs—including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid—has signed a one-year deal with the Rio-based team.
This marks a significant milestone for the younger Ancelotti, whose career has long been shaped by his father’s influence, but who now faces the challenge of carving his own identity on the touchline.
The move comes shortly after both father and son departed Real Madrid at the end of last season, with Carlo taking over the Brazilian national team. Now, in a poetic alignment, father and son find themselves on different paths within Brazilian football—one leading the Seleção, the other steering the fortunes of a storied domestic club.
Botafogo’s decision to appoint Davide follows a controversial parting with Paiva, who was dismissed just days after their exit from the Club World Cup. Though he oversaw a stunning win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Palmeiras in the round of 16 proved to be his final act after just four months in charge.
As Davide Ancelotti begins this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the son of one of football’s most decorated managers can step out from his father’s shadow—and perhaps, in time, build a legacy of his own.
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