тАЬWe now have six more games to go,тАЭ said Richarlison. When it comes to the World Cup, Brazil do not set modest targets.
For us, a journalist from Globo Sport had said in 2014 after Brazil were sent home a 1-7 defeat to Germany, a World Cup final is always the minimum target. Eight years and two editions later with Brazil not getting that far in either, Richarlison showed little had changed.
The scorer of both goals in BrazilтАЩs 2-0 win was asked by HT to talk the media through the second, the acrobatic side-volley after lofting Vinicius JrтАЩs pass made with the outstep of his boot. In the bowels of the Lusail Stadium where the highest perch in the media tribune is the equivalent of being on the seventh floor of the building, Richarlison broke into a smile before saying: тАЬI think it was a beautiful goal.тАЭ
тАЬI have scored such goals at Fluminense and Everton. TodayтАЩs effort was acrobatic and easily the nicest one I gave scored for my country.тАЭ After a pause, he amended that to being тАЬone of the best goals of my career.тАЭ
It was a goal that had the normally reserved Tite leave his seat and celebrate with the staff. тАЬSome feeling canтАЩt be explained,тАЭ said the head coach with a broad smile. тАЬIt is teamwork. People donтАЩt know how much goes on behind the scenes, how much the physios work to ensure that athletes give (of) their best. I wanted to share the happiness.тАЭ
How deeply Tite feels this is about the collective was evident when he corrected a questioner saying, тАЬwe not I. Tite has a limited role in this.тАЭ
The conversation soon veered to Brazil coming here with a number of players who can be No. 9, something they didnтАЩt have in a while leading to a lot of load on Neymar Jr. тАЬWe have six or seven players who can do that now and we couldnтАЩt bring all of them. Richarlison was fantastic but we have left other equally good players back home,тАЭ said Tite.
Richarlison is among seven forwards here with the Brazil team who are making their World Cup debut. This is Neymar JrтАЩs third World Cup and Gabriel Jesus was in Russia four years ago.
By the time Richarlison was addressing the media early on Friday morning, Tite had left but not before telling the media manager, тАЬyou are going to leave him (Richarlison) alone to face the media? And you are not going to let me hug him in front of all these people?тАЭ
On being a No.9, Richarlison said: тАЬAs the Professor (Tite) says, I can smell goals. That is what happens. I knew if I got the ball I would send it to the back of the net. The ball came and I could get it to touch the net. It was beautiful.тАЭ
In seven games for Brazil this year, Richarlison has scored nine goals.
The presence of one or more No. 9s has helped Neymar Jr play with greater freedom.
тАЬBrazil was very predictable for a while due to its dependency on Neymar,тАЭ Zico said in September.
тАЬNow he is just the icing on the cake, the guy who will deliver something extra. Brazil has other players up front. A lot of players,тАЭ said the great attacking midfielder of yesteryear who was also FC GoaтАЩs coach in the Indian Super League.
Having been in the тАЬArab worldтАЭ, Tite said he knew it was important to ensure there was no drop in physical intensity in the second half. And Brazil achieved that by repositioning Lucas Paqueta and moving him up the park, he said. тАЬThat variation had an impact.тАЭ It was also important to ensure that the players had тАЬlight footтАЭ at the break, get them to calm down, he said. тАЬSo that they could pass the ball.тАЭ
The drop in intensity was something that surprised Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic. тАЬWe collapsed in the second half and I want to know why. I had spoken to the players a couple of days ago and they had assured me that they were okay physically. Obviously, that was not the case,тАЭ said the former Yugoslavia midfielder and one of the best players of his generation.
