
Brazil draw against Ecuador on coach Ancelotti's debut
BRAZIL were held to a lackluster goalless draw against Ecuador in coach Carlo Ancelotti's World Cup qualifying debut with the team on Thursday.
The five-times World Cup winners are still in the hunt to qualify for next year's tournament but will have their work cut out after a performance that produced just a handful of shots on goal.
The Brazilians are in fourth place in the South American qualifiers with three matches remaining.
They face Paraguay on Tuesday in Sao Paolo, when a win and some favorable results from other teams will see them through.
Sixty-five-year-old Ancelotti recently joined Brazil from a celebrated stint at Real Madrid.
Long-suffering Brazil fans are hoping he could breathe new life into a side coming off a string of disappointing results and performances unworthy of their storied past.
The Italian coach replaced Dorival Junior, who was sacked at the end of March after the 4-1 thrashing at the hands of reigning champions and bitter rivals Argentina.

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