By Joiner Martinez
05 Jul 2024, 19:35 PM EDT
Brazil coach Dorival Junior confirmed on Friday that Endrick will start this Saturday alongside Raphinha and Rodrygo Goes in the Copa América quarter-final against Uruguay in Las Vegas (Nevada), in which Vinicius will be out due to an accumulation of cards.
“Raphinha, Endrick and Rodrygo,” Dorival said at the start of his press conference the day before.
“I hope we can continue to find the way to goals. The team’s job is to provide the forwards with scoring opportunities. It will be no different. We lose an important player but we find a player who looks for opportunities,” he said.
Dorival highlighted that Endrick is an atypical number nine, who “has movement and fluctuates” in the forward line.
He also considered that Brazil was drawn in a quarter-final against Uruguay, which could have been a semi-final or a final.
“It is a great South American derby, important for Brazil and Uruguay. A team that deserves all our respect, they are in a process of evolution like Brazil. I have no doubt that Uruguay will also have problems facing our team,” he said.
Although Brazil has been heavily criticized for advancing as second in Group D behind Colombia, Dorival highlighted the high level of this Copa América.
“It’s a competition in which every point must be valued,” he said, adding that if Brazil lost its debut against Costa Rica, when it tied 0-0, it could have already been eliminated from the Cup.
He expressed great appreciation for the Uruguay coach, Argentine Marcelo Bielsa.
“(I like their) individual marking work, they go up in total synchronicity, they have movements of the men from outside to inside. From there they have long plays, always looking for the attack,” he said.
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