Brazil draws 0-0 with Ecuador in World Cup qualifying in Ancelotti's debut as coach

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil held Ecuador to a 0-0 draw Thursday in a South American World Cup qualifying game that marked Carlo Ancelotti's debut as national team coach.

The match in Guayaquil offered few scoring opportunities for either team, and featured once again a Brazilian lineup that struggled to be creative.

Ecuador edged closer to one of the direct World Cup spots by maintaining second place in the round robin competition with 24 points. Brazil is in fourth place with 22 points. The top six teams in South America qualify automatically for the World Cup next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

World Cup champion Argentina, which has already secured its place at the 2026 global tournament, beat 10th-place Chile 1-0. Lionel Messi went on as a second-half substitute in his first run for the national team in seven months. Argentina has 34 points, 10 clear of Ecuador.

Paraguay moved into third spot on 24 points after a 2-0 home win over Uruguay, which dropped to fifth. Matías Galarza scored the opener in the 13th minute and Julio Enciso added a second from the spot in the 81st.

AnceIottti made a lot of lineup changes compared with his predecessor, Dorival Júnior, who was fired after the team's 4-0 defeat at Argentina. The result was a team that successfully blocked the hosts almost all of the match but also failed to be creative and aggressive in offense, a flaw also under Ancelotti's predecessors.

The 65-year-old Italian coach gave Vinicius Júnior Brazil's No. 10, brought veteran midfielder Casemiro and striker Richarlison back into the starting lineup, gave a debut to defender Alex and played teenager Estêvão on the left wing as a replacement to suspended Raphinha.

Brazil seemed comfortable defending against Ecuador, which is unbeaten in its last 14 home games. The best chance for Ancelotti's team came in the 22nd minute, when Vinicius shot from close range and was stopped by goalkeeper Gonzalo Valle.

Ancelotti predicted Brazil won't be as defense-minded next week when it hosts Paraguay in Sao Paulo.

“We will have more opportunities to control the match, have more mobility and intensity,” Ancelotti told a post-match news conference. “This game was more complicated for the three (strikers). We needed more of an offensive game. But Ecuador defended well.”

“It was a very good match in the defensive stage — I saw the team doing well with the ball, with a more fluid game,” Ancelotti added. “This was a good draw and we leave here satisfied, with confidence for the next match.”

The 33-year-old Casemiro, who played his first match for Brazil in more than a year, was happy to return and play under a coach he enjoyed a lot of success with at Real Madrid.

“Little by little we will grow," Casemiro said. “We had a strong, solid defensive system tonight.”

Vinicius said Ancelotti “is yet to show his game plan” for Brazil.

“We will manage. The World Cup is right there and we need to be together to do well at the end of South American qualifying and World Cup preparations,” the striker said.

Brazil can qualify for the World Cup with a win over Paraguay next week, as long as its cushion over the seventh-place team is larger than six points.

Messi barely had to play for an Argentina lineup missing several regular starters in Santiago.

Julián Álvarez scored the winning goal in the 16th minute. Messi didn't have clear opportunities to score in his brief appearance.

“It was a beautiful goal. We had a great first half, and we waned a little in the second," Álvarez said. “But we did well.”

Chile, in the last place and on the verge of missing the World Cup contention for the third consecutive time. Next week, Chile will travel to Bolivia and Argentina will host Colombia.

Colombia takes on Peru and Venezuela challenges Bolivia on Friday. While the Colombians could overtake Brazil in the standings with a win, the Venezuelans and Bolivians will face off in a match that could prove decisive for seventh spot.

The seventh place team in South American qualifying will advance to an intercontinental playoff for a spot in the World Cup.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Argentina's Lionel Messi, right, and Chile's Francisco Sierralta battle for the ball during a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Santiago, Chile, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Hidalgo)

Uruguay's Ronald Araujo, right, and Paraguay's Diego Gomez battle for the ball during a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Asuncion, Paraguay, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

Paraguay's Julio Enciso celebrates scoring his side's second goal against Uruguay during a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Asuncion, Paraguay, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

Brazil's Vinicius Junior eyes the ball during a World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match against Ecuador at Banco Pichincha stadium in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)

Ecuador's Kevin Rodriguez, left, and Brazil's Casemiro battle for the ball during a World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match at Banco Pichincha stadium in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Patricio Teran)

Brazil's coach Carlo Ancelotti directs his players during a World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match against Ecuador at Banco Pichincha stadium in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Rory McIlroy might have set the tone for the 90th edition of the Masters shortly after he finally won that coveted green jacket. “What are we all going to talk about next year?” he said.

Next year arrives on April 9, and McIlroy will be relieved of questions that constantly dogged him about when he was ever going to conquer Augusta National. Now that burden falls to the 73 players in the field who have yet to win.

Scottie Scheffler remains the betting favorite because he already has won the Masters twice and he has been No. 1 in the world for nearly three straight years. He won in his season debut and has gone quiet by his standards the last month.

Bryson DeChambeau has won his last two tournaments on Saudi-funded LIV Golf, with a 57-man field and limited supply of stars in their prime. The two-time U.S. Open champion played in the final group with McIlroy last year.

Amid what seems like constant change in golf, the Masters brings a degree of normalcy as golf's rite of spring and for many, the true opening week of the sport.

Here is a look at what you need to know leading up to the Masters.

The Masters is April 9-12, keeping its traditional spot on the calendar the first full week in April. Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson again are scheduled to hit the ceremonial tee shots about 7:30 a.m. before Thursday's opening round.

The Par 3 Contest is on Wednesday, April 8, created in 1960 to replace what previously was a clinic the golfers performed. Now it's become a showcase for Masters players young and old, and caddies who are mostly young — the children of players.

The field currently is 91 players, keeping with another Masters tradition. Augusta National prefers fewer than 100 players in the field, and it's been that way dating to 1967.

Tiger Woods will miss the Masters for the second straight year. He already was struggling to get his legs in shape for the tournament when he was arrested March 27 in Florida on a driving while intoxicated charge. No alcohol was found in his system, but drug experts determined he was impaired and Woods was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Woods entered a plea of not guilty Tuesday, and then issued a statement that he was taking an indefinite leave to seek treatment. A Florida judge granted a motion for Woods to seek help at an inpatient facility outside the country.

Phil Mickelson is not playing the Masters for only the third time as a pro. Mickelson says his family is navigating through a personal health matter. He already has missed four of five LIV Golf events because of the situation.

It's the first time since 1994 neither Mickelson nor Tiger Woods are at Augusta National. Back then, Woods was a senior in high school who had yet to become eligible. Mickelson broke a bone in his left leg skiing a few months before the Masters.

The best female amateurs in the world are the first to take the stage. The final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur is Saturday at the home of the Masters, after two rounds determined a 36-hole cut at Champions Retreat.

The options are practically limitless. Thursday and Friday rounds start at 1 p.m. ET on Prime Video, the latest broadcast partner for Augusta National. ESPN will take over at 3 p.m. on the weekday rounds through 7:30 p.m. Then on the weekend, Paramount+ will get started at noon, and CBS will carry live tournament coverage from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

But that's not all.

The Master is offering live video channels on https://www.masters.com/en_US/index.html with a menu that includes featured pairings; live action from the fourth, fifth and sixth holes; Amen Corner (Nos. 11-13); the 15th and 16th holes. Prime Video will have a stats-enhanced stream on Amen Corner.

Other than the blooms peaking a little early, not really. Players long have suspected tweaks here and there without saying so. All that's known is the front of the 17th tee was reduced by 12 yards and the tee marker was relocated to make the scorecard show 450 yards (up from 440 yards).

The buzz is the new Player Services Building located behind the driving range, a three-level structure with an indoor parking garage beneath the members range. It has a gym and recovery room on one level, an enormous locker room on the second level and dining for players, family and support staff on the third level.

And for those who manage to get a ticket, the Masters has a new candy bar in its concession. The name of it: Candy Bar.

Scheffler is the betting favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, which lists the world's No. 1 player at +500. He is followed by McIlroy and DeChambeau (+1000), former Masters champion Jon Rahm (+1200), and then Ludvig Aberg and Xander Schauffele (+1400).

In what ranks among the greatest Masters ever, Rory McIlroy lost a four-shot lead on the back nine, regained the lead, lost it again and wound up in a playoff with Justin Rose. McIlroy won on the first extra hole with a gap wedge to 3 feet for birdie, making him the six player to capture the career Grand Slam.

The most interesting of the 22 newcomers is Chris Gotterup. He's only the third player since World War II to win four times before he plays in his first Masters. Gotterup first qualified by winning the Scottish Open. He won the Sony Open and Phoenix Open earlier this year.

Three players from the top 20 in the world are making their debut — Ben Griffin, who played in his first Ryder Cup last September, and Riviera winner Jacob Bridgeman, who went to nearby Clemson.

Also playing are Kristoffer Reitan of Norway and Rasmus Neergaard-Peterson of Denmark, part of a record eight players from Nordic countries.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

FILE - Scottie Scheffler puts the green Jacket on winner, Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, at the Masters golf tournament, April 13, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)

FILE - Dogwood flowers frame the clubhouse during a practice round for the Masters golf tournament on April 5, 2021, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

FILE - The Augusta National clubhouse during a practice round at the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga., April 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Rob Carr, File)