“Calm down! Calm down! Very calm!”, said coach Carlo Ancelotti, in one of his responses in the interview given after Brazil’s 3-0 victory over Scotland. The Italian had been asked about the message he would give to the millions of fans excited about the team, but the message was valid for himself, as he had to contain his own enthusiasm.
The coach was very pleased with his team’s performance on Wednesday night (24), in Miami Gardens. In his view, the team has grown significantly since their debut in the World Cup, a 1-1 draw with Morocco, and has also increased in production in relation to the 3-0 triumph over fragile Haiti, last week.
“Now, we are playing as a team. That was the objective. We are not perfect, there are things we can improve on, especially the pace, it could be a little faster. But I am happy because after the first game we improved a lot. We are solid. That is the most important thing, because now comes the knockout stage. In the knockout stage, solidity is very important,” he said.
Brazil will debut in the World Cup qualifying stage next Monday (29), in Houston. The opponent has yet to be defined. The three possible opponents – Netherlands, Japan and Sweden – were praised by the green-yellow commander, who, despite this, sees a good chance of success.
“We are making fewer mistakes with the ball and we are showing more effectiveness up front. I liked the team, we also defended well against corners. The team is improving and can improve a little more. It left a good impression, the objective of coming first was achieved. Now, as they say in Brazil, down to earth”, he said.
Ancelotti recalled in one of his answers that the team hasn’t won the World Cup since 2002. It’s been 24 years of fasting, which fuels expectations and also pressure. He demonstrated greater optimism than he had previously and spoke of “making the people of Brazil happy”, aware that he will only be evaluated well with a result.
“We are working to do our best. But the objective is not to play well. We know that playing well is easier to win, but the objective is to win. The coach is only judged well if he wins. It doesn’t matter if he played well. If he won, he played very well. If he didn’t win, he played poorly. I understand that very well”, he declared.
“Anyway, I’m pleased because the team is improving. I like to talk about the team, not about individuality. Of course we have great individuals, great players, but I like to talk about attitude, about how the team is capable of playing,” he added, before pointing out what attitude he expects now. “It’s knockout. Strong heart!”
