The Brazilian National Team was eliminated from the Pre-Olympic tournament after losing 1-0 to Argentina on Sunday afternoon (11) in Caracas, thanks to a headed goal from a cross that came from the left side. Argentina’s aerial balls had been a strong point of Brazil’s biggest rival in the tournament. Coach Ramon Menezes knew this and alerted his players. However, the Seleção couldn’t prevent the play.
Later, in a press conference at the Brígido Iriarte Stadium, Ramon analyzed the match. He acknowledged that his tactical setup prevented the Argentinians from creating dangerous situations through the middle and lamented that the only goal of the game came from a ball lifted into Mycael’s area and seized by forward Gondou, who outpaced the Brazilian defense.
“The game is often decided by details. We were in control of the match, we had just created the two best opportunities of the game with Gabriel Pec and John Kennedy, but in a detail, in a play we had discussed with our players, Barco had the chance to cross for Gondou to score the goal.”
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The coach admitted his responsibility for the Seleção’s results in the Pre-Olympic tournament and absolved the players of blame for Brazil’s elimination. Once again, he praised the South American opponents and mentioned that the level of football on the continent has been improving significantly lately.
“We knew it was going to be a very tough competition, balanced with everyone vying for two spots for the Paris Olympics. Of course, it’s frustrating, unpleasant, but these players need to lift their heads; they are young and belong to a generation that will bring many joys to Brazilians,” said Ramon.
He also emphasized that Brazil lost a classic, and games against Argentina, due to tradition and rivalry, always tend to be unpredictable. Ramon also mentioned the team’s absences throughout the competition. Three starters, defender Michel, full-back Kaiki Bruno, and midfielder Marlon Gomes were withdrawn – the first two due to muscle injuries and Marlon due to a fracture in his left fibula.
