Kauan Lima relishes battle for gloves, eyes South American with Brazil U20 | OneFootball

Kauan Lima praised his teammates Credits: Nelson Terme / CBF

The Brazil Under-20 National Team is in San Pedro del Pinatar, in the Murcia region of Spain, for another stage of preparation ahead of the South American Championship in January. The squad led by coach Paulo Victor will face three friendlies: Denmark, the United States, and Mexico, on September 28, October 1, and October 4, respectively.

Among those called up is goalkeeper Kauan Lima, who sees this as another opportunity to defend the National Team jersey and share space with other players in his position. For the player, being part of the group represents a special experience and also a chance to continue the work developed on a daily basis.

“It’s an incredible experience. Every time I come here, it’s a privilege. It’s always great, always an honor to represent the greatest national team in the world,” he said.

Kauan also sees the competition for the position as a natural part of the preparation process. The goalkeeper highlighted the level of teammates Léo Nannetti and João Pedro and stressed the importance of competing in a high-level environment.

“The competition is very tough. I’m sure I’m competing with the best in Brazil. That’s also a privilege that comes from all the work,” he said.

The run of friendlies in Spain will be another opportunity for the coaching staff to evaluate the group against opponents from different footballing backgrounds. For Kauan, however, the main focus is on making the most of every session and continuing to improve ahead of the South American Championship.

“We’re going to have a good preparation period and keep doing what we had been doing in previous matches. So we can arrive well prepared for the South American Championship and, God willing, go after the ultimate goal,” he said.

The goalkeeper also highlighted the individual support provided by Paulo Victor. According to Kauan, conversations with the coach help the players stay focused on their development even during their time with their clubs.

“The most important thing is the preparation. To keep doing what we had been doing in the friendlies and in our day-to-day work so we can arrive at the South American Championship well prepared. Both here and at the club, Paulo Victor talks individually with all of us. We have to keep doing our work, preparing well so we can arrive here healthy, in the right frame of mind, and ready to contribute and help the group.”

The first chance to put the work into practice will be against Denmark on the 28th. Then Brazil will face the United States on October 1 and wrap up the trip to Spain against Mexico on the 4th. All three matches will be played at Pinatar Arena in San Pedro del Pinatar.

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