After Brazil’s 4-0 thrashing of Panama, this Monday (24th), in Adelaide, coach Pia Sundhage praised the team’s performance. She said that the team did very well, with personality, attitude, and insisted on highlighting the quality of the Brazilian players, admitting that this could be a differential in the World Cup.
“I don’t teach them anything when they’re in goal situation. They are Brazilian. They are unpredictable. They find many different solutions to the attack. In the third goal, which was beautiful, typical of Brazil, I thought Ary was going to kick it to complete the play”, said the coach, referring to the assist that Ary Borges, in conditions to score the goal, gave to Bia Zaneratto, deceiving the opposing defense.
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Pia revealed that she was fearful about the performance of players who would debut in a World Cup. There were nine in all in that match against Panama: Letícia, Antônia, Lauren, Bruninha, Duda Sampaio, Adriana, Gabi Nunes, Kerolin and Ary Borges.
“I was worried to see how they would behave. They all went very well. I’m proud of them. Our team has a contagious joy, which involves a lot of energy and this carries over to the other games”, she declared, during a press conference at the Hindmarsh Stadium.
Aware of the difficulties following the competition, the coach made clear the need to redirect the team’s focus to the confrontation with France, on Saturday (29), the most anticipated of Group F of the World Cup.
“I’m happy, it was the first game, which is always complicated. We played very well, created countless opportunities, scored four goals. But now it’s time to think about France, a totally different opponent. What is important is that we gained confidence with this debut.”
Shortly before, right at the end of the game, in a circle in the center of the pitch, Pia Sundhage, alongside the players, the rest of the coaching staff and part of the Brazilian delegation in Australia, exalted the team spirit of the national team and at the same time made the alert: the celebrations for the victory were deserved and necessary, but concentration for the duel with the French would become the priority.
She even had time to congratulate Ary Borges, scorer of three goals and the assist for Bia Zaneratto, and justified her replacement by Marta, in the 30th minute of the second half, with good humor.
“She had already done the hat-trick, so I had to remove her”, she said, implying that Ary Borges had already fulfilled her duty with flying colors. “Now we’re going to have to pay for her dinner,” she continued.
The coach added that she wanted to see Marta in action and that the entry of the veteran ace was planned. “She’s out of game rhythm and we wanted to prepare her for the upcoming commitments in the Cup.”
