"Looking for a midfielder with Casemiro’s characteristics is impossible," Ancelotti told reporters before the game in La Paz.
"There’s no other Brazilian player who has the same characteristics as Casemiro."
Defeat saw the Selecao slide to fifth spot in the standings. The top six qualify automatically, as Brazil have done. Miguel Terceros's penalty for Bolivia has secured them a spot in the intercontinental play-offs, as they finished seventh.
Meanwhile, Manuel Ugarte played the full 90 minutes in midfield as Uruguay drew 0-0 in Chile to end in fourth place, behind Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina.