Matheuzinho hails Brazil debut, assesses display against Australia | OneFootball

Matheuzinho experienced a special moment in his career this Friday (25). Starting in Brazil’s 1-1 draw with Australia at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville, the Corinthians right-back made his senior Brazil national team debut and, after the match, described the opportunity as the fulfillment of a dream. The player also assessed his performance in the friendly and highlighted the responsibility of representing the country.

Called up by Carlo Ancelotti for the current FIFA international break, Matheuzinho stayed on the pitch for the full 90 minutes of the first clash with the Australians. After the final whistle, Timão’s No. 2 emphasized his happiness over the debut, but noted that wearing the national team shirt also raises the level of expectation.

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“The fulfillment of a dream. Whenever you’re wearing this shirt, today I have the pleasure and the opportunity. I’m very happy, but we know it’s a huge responsibility when you’re wearing the national team shirt, because you have to deliver. And it was a very difficult game, a battle that I had all game long, a very physical battle, and I think I managed to stand out in some moments. Work, work, because the first one is a friendly and we still have two more ahead, and I’m sure we’ll be able to do better.”

Matheuzinho gets his first opportunity with the senior national team

The debut against Australia represented a new chapter in the full-back’s journey in a Brazil shirt. Before receiving his first opportunity with the senior team, Matheuzinho had been part of Brazil Under-20 call-ups in 2018, when he was still playing for Londrina.

Against the Australians, the player was involved mainly in the defensive sector. According to Sofascore data, Matheuzinho finished the match with 12 defensive actions: four interceptions, four ball recoveries, and four tackles.

The full-back also came out on top in five of the seven ground duels he contested. In build-up play, he completed 53 of his 62 attempted passes, reaching an 85% success rate.

The player himself highlighted the physical aspect of the match when evaluating his first 90 minutes for the national team. Australia managed to occupy attacking areas at different moments and caused problems for Brazil, who struggled to build plays throughout the match.

Corinthians had two starters against Australia

Matheuzinho was not the only Corinthians representative chosen by Ancelotti to start the friendly. Hugo Souza was also among the starters and made his second appearance for the senior national team. Breno Bidon, the third black-and-white player called up for the FIFA international break, remained on the bench.

Brazil began the match with Hugo Souza; Matheuzinho, Marquinhos, Vitor Reis and Douglas Santos; Bruno Guimarães and Danilo Santos; Estêvão, Raphinha, Endrick and Vini Júnior.

After a goalless first half, Australia opened the scoring in the 22nd minute of the second half. Nestory Irankunda struck a free kick into Hugo Souza’s right corner and gave the home side the lead.

The Brazilian team managed to avoid defeat with the final play of the match. Raphinha crossed into the box, and Rayan finished to beat goalkeeper Beach and secure the 1-1 draw.

The current call-up also ended a long period without Corinthians having at least three players simultaneously in the senior Brazil national team. The last time was in 2015, when Cássio, Gil, Elias, and Renato Augusto were called up by Dunga during the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup.

Matheuzinho, Hugo Souza, and Breno Bidon remain at Carlo Ancelotti’s disposal for the rest of the FIFA international break. Brazil and Australia will face each other again next Tuesday (29), at 7 a.m. Brasília time, once again at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville.

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