Estêvão logged another hour or so of action at the international level last night, starting for the third time in the last four matches for Carlo Ancelotti. Unfortunately he would be kept off the scoresheet.
With his recent involvement at club level, too, the 19-year-old thankfully now does have more minutes for Chelsea than for Brazil this season — though it’s fairly close still, which isn’t great.
Also not great are Brazil’s results of late, starting with the relatively early exit form the World
Cup, this time slumping to a 3-2 defeat against Japan, whose stoppage-time winner sparked furious protests from Ancelotti. He was rewarded with a red card for his efforts, not to mention mounting pressure, apparently.
Japan had taken an early 2-0 lead but Brazil battled back, and even got back to level thanks to a Vini Jr brace, before conceding again in the second minute of stoppage time.
Meanwhile Pedro Neto started for Portugal as they also slumped to defeat, losing 4-1 to Denmark. Geovany Quenda was an unused substitute, just as Filip Jörgensen was on the other side.
Genesis Antwi was also an unused substitute as he awaits his first senior cap for Sweden.
And staying on theme, Valentín Barco and Emiliano Martínez also had just watching briefs as Argentina suffered a rare defeat , 2-1 against Uruguay earlier this weekend. It was only Argentina’s second defeat in over two years, they other being the World Cup final. I’m sure it was just coincidence that it happened to be the first game since Lionel Messi’s international retirement.
