“You got a new fan now.” That was Bruno Guimaraes’s reply when asked about his opinion of the Indian football team.
Khalid Jamil’s men certainly deserve praise for not letting Brazil score for close to half an hour after kick-off in Saturday’s international friendly at the Salt Lake Stadium.
However, this relatively new-look Brazil side didn’t appear to be pressing the accelerator either, barring a few moments of the game, which they eventually went on to win 4-0.
During the course of their three recent friendlies, which included two versus Australia in Townsville and Brisbane, Guimaraes and his teammates had to travel for “more than 50 hours” apart from having to tackle the heat and humidity of Calcutta. Having said so, as head coach Carlo Ancelotti had said during Saturday’s news conference, Brazil acknowledged their need to buck up by the time they reassemble for their next set of friendlies against Japan and Singapore in Singapore next month.
“I think we travelled more than 50 hours. And a lot happened in these last 10 days,” Guimaraes, who took the field from the start of the second half in Saturday’s game, said at the mixed zone.
“Obviously, we could have pushed harder, but the heat affected us a fair bit, and it became difficult. But yeah, we can do better, but overall, there are quite a few positives in the side and I believe things will get better from hereon,” the Arsenal midfielder emphasised.
The weather conditions in the city reminded captain Marquinhos of that in Belem and Manaus. “It was really hot here. Nonetheless, we certainly managed to do a good job today (Saturday), and we’re trying to improve more and more.”
Among the new faces in the current squad, defender Arthur Dias, who plays for Brazilian club Athletico Paranaense, and midfielders Gabriel Bontempo and Martinelli of Santos and Fluminense, respectively, have been marked as promising by the team management for their overall performances in these three friendlies. “I really liked the youngsters, like Bontempo, Martinelli… Even Arthur was a very good surprise package.
“I think we have some great talents out there. I believe the coach too liked them,” Guimaraes said.
The ones that actually stood out on Saturday were Estevao and Samuel Lino, who were both penetrating and also had their names on the scoresheet. “The competition (within the team) is very strong. But I trust myself and my work. I will continue working at my club (Flamengo) to cement my place in the national team,” Lino, who netted a brace on Saturday, was quoted as saying by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) website.