“Finding a midfielder with Casemiro’s qualities is nearly impossible,” Ancelotti stated to the press prior to the match in La Paz.
“There isn’t another Brazilian player with the same skill set as Casemiro.”
The loss resulted in Brazil dropping to fifth place in the standings. The top six teams qualify automatically, as Brazil has in the past. Bolivia, securing a seventh-place finish thanks to a penalty from Miguel Terceros, will participate in the intercontinental play-offs.
At the same time, Manuel Ugarte played the entire match for Uruguay, which ended in a 0-0 draw against Chile, leaving them in fourth place behind Colombia, Ecuador, and Argentina.
