Coach Carlo Ancelotti has urged Brazil fans not to get carried away after the team’s 3-0 win over Scotland at the FIFA World Cup, a match that also featured the return of Neymar and another strong performance from VinÃcius Júnior.After opening their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Morocco, Brazil followed it up with two wins and finished top of Group C. Ancelotti said the team is starting to play the way he wants ahead of the knockout stages. “Now we play as a team, that was the goal,” Ancelotti said at a press conference, as quoted by the Reuters news agency. “We are not perfect, we need to improve a few things – we can be faster when we are in possession.“I am happy because the team has improved since the opening match. Being solid is very important now that we have reached the knockout stage.”Brazil will now face Group F runners-up in the Round of 32, with the Netherlands, Japan and Sweden among the possible opponents.One of the main talking points from the party was the return of Neymar. The striker played his first minutes for Brazil after being out of the national team for almost three years. Ancelotti said the veteran striker had earned his place after working his way back to fitness.“He had the chance to play because he deserved it, he worked hard to recover,” Ancelotti said. “I think that in this World Cup, given his qualities, he can help the team. He played for a few minutes, but he played well.“Neymar does not need motivation to play, no player needs motivation to wear the Brazilian shirt. He is 34 years old and still has the same passion as a child.”Ancelotti also praised Vinicius, who scored twice and was involved throughout the game.“Vini is in great form at the moment and the team is helping him a lot,” Ancelotti said. “He can play in different positions, both inside and on the wing.“It is very gratifying to see Vinicius like this, I have no doubt that he could reach this level. He was not the one who discovered Vini, he is a first-class player, one of the best in the world.”Despite Brazil’s strong finish to the group stage, Ancelotti said the team’s work is far from done.“I haven’t set a goal for how far we can go,” he said. “The goal is not to play well, the goal is to win. A manager is judged by victory or defeat, not by whether the team plays well or badly.”
