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SAO PAOLO: After a warm welcome to Brazil, Carlo Ancelotti, the Selecao’s first foreign coach in more than 50 years, is on a mission to fix a stuttering team and win back fans which starts on Thursday against Ecuador in a World Cup qualifier.

The 65-year-old Italian led his first training session on Monday in Guayaquil, Ecuador, ahead of what should be his first match, if his move from Real Madrid passes scrutiny by football’s governing body FIFA.

AFP identifies five issues Ancelotti faces:

“The only goal is to win the 2026 World Cup,” said Ancelotti when he took the job. First he has to get there.

The South American group is a two-year, 18-match marathon. Brazil’s campaign has included a first-ever home World Cup qualifying defeat, 1-0 at the Maracana to old enemy Argentina, part of a run of three straight defeats in 2023 that ended the coaching reign of Fernando Diniz.

Their last match was a 4-1 humiliation in Argentina in March that finished off former coach Dorival Junior. Yet the format is forgiving.

The top six in the 10-team group qualify directly for the World Cup. Brazil are fourth, six points clear of Venezuela in seventh with four matches to go.

Ecuador may be second in the group, but are only two points ahead of Brazil, who then host Paraguay, who are fifth.

Qualifying ends in September with a visit to last-place Chile and a home game against struggling Bolivia.

Brazil is still churning out dazzling attackers but the production line has stalled on No. 9s. In this century, Romario, Ronaldo and Adriano have all led the attack and banged in the goals.

The nearest player to a classic No. 9 in Ancelotti’s first squad is a player he coached at Everton, Richarlison, now of Tottenham.

Yet Ancelotti has won without a central striker before. His 2024 Champions League winning side was led by two Brazilians: Vinicius Jr, who is in Ancelotti’s squad, and Rodrygo, who he did not select. Ancelotti also has Raphinha of Barcelona, who was joint top scorer in this season’s Champions League.

A bigger problem might be supplying the attackers, veteran Brazilian football journalist Juca Kfouri told AFP.

With Brazil’s youth academies focusing on defensive midfielders and quick wingers rather than classic creators, the Selecao faces a shortage of ideas in midfield.

In Brazil’s last two outings Dorival Junior tried Bruno Guimaraes, Gerson, Andre and Joelinton in the role. None convinced.

At Madrid, Ancelotti “had Toni Kroos as a supply line for Vini. Brazil does not have a Toni Kroos,” said sports writer Tim Vickery on his ‘Brazilian Shirt Name’ podcast.

Ancelotti has recalled Kroos’s former Real Madrid midfield partner Casemiro, although the 33-year-old now with Manchester United is primarily a defensive player to add, the coach said, “charisma, personality and talent.”

The supply of swashbuckling fullbacks, such as Carlos Alberto, Cafu and Roberto Carlos — another hallmark of great Brazil teams — has also dried up.

Ancelotti has recalled Carlos Augusto, part of the Inter Milan team crushed in the Champions League final, and picked Flamengo duo Wesley Franca and Alex Sandro after seeing them play last week in a 1-0 victory over Venezuelan team Deportivo Tachira in the Copa Libertadores.

Ancelotti needs to rebuild the bond between the team and the public. Part of the problem is that after Brazil won five World Cups playing — mostly — the “jogo bonito” (the beautiful game), fans have little patience with mediocrity.

But many supporters have been turned off by the way the famous yellow jersey has been hijacked as a symbol by supporters of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro.

“This issue of the extreme right appropriating the jersey has distanced part of the country,” said Kfouri, adding Ancelotti called on the fans when he took the job saying, “I hope to have the support and help of the country.”

BARCELONA: Spain’s Claudia Pina came off the bench and scored twice as the reigning Nations League champions came back from a goal down to beat England 2-1 on Tuesday and claim victory in Group 3, booking their spot in the last four of this year’s competition.

With Germany and France having already secured victory in Groups 1 and 2 respectively and Euro 2025 only a month away, world champions Spain and European champions England met to decide their group in an intriguing clash of styles.

Spain piled the pressure on from kickoff, striker Esther Gonzalez forcing England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton into a superb one-handed reflex save early on, and the England defense struggled to deal with the slick passing and movement of the hosts.

However, Alessia Russo gave the visitors the lead against the run of play in the 22nd minute. With the Spaniards pleading for a free kick for what they saw as a foul on Salma Paralluelo, Keira Walsh played the ball in behind for Russo, and she scored with a well-taken finish.

Rocked by the goal, the hosts had plenty of possession but created little in the way of dangerous chances until Pina entered the fray in the 58th minute. She equalized less than two minutes later by flashing a shot across Hampton and into the net as England were punished for losing possession when trying to play out from the back.

With Euro 2025 due to start in a month’s time, the 23-year-old Pina staked her claim for a starting spot by getting the winner 10 minutes later, curling home a brilliant dipping effort that left Hampton helpless. The win moved Spain to 15 points from six games, five ahead of England.

England captain Leah Williamson was disappointed with the result and noted that there was work for her side to do ahead of the Euros.

“We didn’t have any real threat. Under that much pressure against the top sides, that’s what happens. We just have to be better on the ball and find solutions quicker. A great lesson,” she said.

“We know what we are capable of. The game changes constantly, we have to adapt a bit quicker. We have time to build and time to push ourselves before the start of the tournament.”

In the evening’s other decisive game, Sweden raced out to a 3-0 lead after 11 minutes against Scandinavian neighbors Denmark, eventually winning 6-1 to book the remaining spot in the Nations League semifinals by winning Group 4 with 12 points, two ahead Italy, who thrashed bottom side Wales 4-0.