‘We must not lose morale’, says Brazil coach after draw with Morocco

Sports Desk

Brazil opened their World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Morocco. Despite the lackluster performance from the five-time world champions, coach Carlo Ancelotti is not disappointed. After the match, he reminded everyone that “no one becomes a World Cup champion by winning the first match.”

In the match held Saturday in New Jersey, Brazil fell behind after a goal from Ismael Saibari. It was the first time since 1934 that the Seleção faced the prospect of losing their opening World Cup match. However, they eventually leveled the score through a superb goal from Vinícius Júnior. Although they left the field with one point, Ancelotti openly admitted that no one had expected such a performance from his team.

Speaking after the match, Ancelotti said, “The match was really difficult at the beginning. I think the team was under some pressure and the players were feeling nervous.”

The coach added, “We did not play well, but we must not lose confidence. This is the first match of the World Cup. It is not right to expect a team to be perfect in every aspect from the very start. The result is not entirely bad either. We will try to bounce back from the second match.”

Meanwhile, one of the team’s star players, Vinícius Júnior, said Brazil paid the price for a slow start. The advice given by Morocco’s coach to play fearless football was exactly what his team demonstrated on the field.

The Real Madrid forward said, “Our start was very poor. Once you concede early, it becomes difficult to regain your usual rhythm. The first match of a World Cup is always difficult.”

Urging the team to continue improving, Vinícius said, “We have to improve further and look ahead because the tournament has only just begun. This is the World Cup; no match is easy here. There is no point talking too much now. We need to correct our mistakes.”