Danilo acknowledges gaps in the national team midfield and calls for calm at the start of a new cycle

== sync, corrected by elderman == @elder_man

Before the match: first post-Cup stage of 2026

The 1-1 draw with Australia on Friday in Townsville was Brazil's first match after being eliminated in the round of 16 at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.2026 The game opened up coach Carlo Ancelotti's cycle, with new players and part of the old squad retained.

Development: Closed lines and few options in the middle

According to Danilo, Brazil found few options in the central corridor because the Australian defense played with a very compact five and four line.

defensive midfielder explained that the team tried to create spaces on the inside, but would need infiltrations between the sides to open up the defense and call Vini, Raphinha , Endrick and Estevan in the middle.

The midfield problem: backing up to build.

Danilo also pointed out difficulty in controlling the midfield especially after losing the ball. With four forwards to force hand-to-hand from Esteban and Vini through the ends and look for infiltrations, he and Bruno Guimarães had to come down to help with construction. This left more space in the central sector.

Next step: more compactness and patience

For defensive midfielder , the team needs patience at the beginning of Ancelotti's work, due to the presence of new athletes. He believes that Brazil will have a more closed midfield in the next game to build better and come out with a positive result.

Super data from Fifa

• Australia v Brazil: 29/9 (Tuesday), 7am (from Brasilia), Suncorp Stadium, in Brisbane (AUS). This is the first time that a team has won this trophy.
• Brazil x India: 3/10 (Saturday), 11h (from Brasilia), Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium, in Calcutta (IND). This is the first match of this tournament.

Where Brazil Is Now

The cycle begins with a draw that has evidenced compaction flaws in midfield. The team is still searching for the model requested by Ancelotti, and the next commitment serves to test the immediate response of the team.