“One of the best”: Ancelotti hails Vini Jr after World Cup show | OneFootball

Brazil head coach Ancelotti praised Vini after his two goals in the win over Scotland

Brazil secured top spot in Group C of the World Cup this Wednesday (24) by beating Scotland 3-0 in Miami, United States. After the match, coach Carlo Ancelotti made a point of highlighting the performance of Vini Jr, who scored twice in the match and has been Brazil’s national team standout player in the tournament so far.

AFTER ALL, WHAT DID ANCELOTTI SAY ABOUT VINI JR’S CURRENT FORM?

The star of Brazil’s win, Vini Jr reached his fourth goal at the World Cup and moved close to the top of the scoring charts. The Real Madrid forward is enjoying one of his best spells with the national team, and Ancelotti did not hide his satisfaction when commenting on the player’s performance.

— It’s satisfying because I had no doubt about how he could arrive at this World Cup. For him, it is an honor to play for the national team. He is doing very well, he also scored with a header, which is very rare for him. I’m not the one who is going to discover Vini. For me, Vini is top. He is obviously one of the best in the world —, said the coach.

In addition to praising the No. 7, the coach also celebrated the team’s collective improvement, spoke about Neymar’s return to the pitch in a Brazil shirt, and highlighted the performance of young Rayan, who made his first World Cup start.

SO, HOW DID ANCELOTTI ASSESS BRAZIL’S DEVELOPMENT?

— Right now we are playing like a team, that is the objective. We are not perfect, we have things to improve. We can be a little quicker when we have control. I’m happy because the team has improved a lot, now we are solid. In the knockout stage, solidity is very important. We have a solid team. Compared to the first game, we have fewer mistakes, more rhythm, more effectiveness up front —, said the Italian.

THAT SAID, HOW WAS NEYMAR’S RETURN TO THE NATIONAL TEAM?

Another new development in the match was Neymar’s appearance. The No. 10 played again for the Brazil national team after almost three years away due to injuries and physical problems. Ancelotti praised the star’s dedication throughout the recovery process.

— He had the opportunity to play because he deserved to play; he worked and trained to recover with great professionalism. Because of his qualities, he can help the team in this World Cup. He played well in the few minutes he got. Neymar does not need motivation to play, no player needs that to play in a Brazil shirt. He is 34 years old and has the same passion a boy has to play for Brazil —, the Italian said.

WHAT DID ANCELOTTI SAY ABOUT RAYAN?

Rayan also received praise from the coach. At 19, the forward started a World Cup match for the first time and responded with a composed performance. The former Vasco player took over as a starter after Barcelona’s Raphinha was injured.

— He did a complete job defensively and offensively, he played very well. I am very satisfied with the match he played. He has maturity, works very hard, has quality. I think that, in general, no one knows how far his level can go.

FINALLY, WHO WILL BRAZIL FACE NEXT?

With the win over Scotland, Brazil finished the group stage on top of Group C with seven points, edging Morocco on goal difference. Now, the team awaits the final outcome of Group F to find out its opponent in the next round. The Netherlands, Japan, and Sweden appear as possible rivals for Brazil. The round-of-16 match will take place next Monday (29) at 2 p.m. (Brasília time) in Houston, United States.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.