Cuca rues Santos' nervy start and Neymar absence: 'He's sore' | OneFootball

Coach Cuca acknowledged the difficulties Santos faced at the start of Thursday’s match against Remo at Vila Belmiro in the Brazilian Championship. The manager pointed out that the team was nervous and admitted their low attacking output until Thaciano’s goal at the end of the first half.

“It was a physical game, partly because of the heavy storm that hit an hour before kickoff. The pitch became very heavy. We had difficulties in the first half, the team was nervous and couldn’t find the right moves. Then the team settled down and scored. In the second half, the game was more under control. It’s worth highlighting that this is the second game in a row in which the team hasn’t conceded, and it’s the first time this year that has happened,” the coach said in a press conference.

“It’s part of the work process. I had ten days to work, and we started with the technical and physical side, trying to find this starting team. Competition is open, and they earn their place based on how they train and play. Then comes the tactical part. You’re not going to impose your work in ten days; that takes time. When you get a win like we did today, it gives you more peace of mind to keep working,” he added.

Cuca revealed that he was already thinking about making changes at halftime when Thaciano found the net and gave Peixe some breathing room. He said he tried to instill confidence in the players after the end of the first half and believes the team played with more assurance in the second half.

“If you look at the start of the game, you can see the team was nervous, without the ideal confidence to play football. The ball was burning, and that’s dangerous, that’s a risk. If the opponent scores, it’s hard to find the strength to come back. I was already thinking about the substitutions I’d make at halftime if we hadn’t scored the first goal. At halftime, I tried to give them confidence. With the changes we made, I think the team clicked well. The ideas worked, and the team played more safely in the second half,” he analyzed.

(Photo: Raul Baretta/Santos FC)

Neymar suspended

Coach Cuca also lamented Neymar’s suspension. The star received his third yellow card and will miss Santos’ clash against Flamengo next Sunday. The coach believes referee Savio Pereira Sampaio acted excessively and said the No. 10 was upset in the locker room.

“It’s a shame to lose Neymar. It happened right next to me, and I don’t think the card was necessary. He [the referee] could have managed it, but anyway... He [Neymar] will miss an important game. He’s a very important player; with two flashes today, he put two players one-on-one with the goalkeeper,” he said.

“If you look at the play, he gets poked from behind by one player, then another, and he reacts. In the heat of the moment, I think he could have shown a bit more understanding, but the referee chose to act differently. It’s the heat of the game, he’s a passionate player, but he could have avoided that card. He’s pretty upset in the locker room, it was an important game for him against Flamengo,” he added.

Cuca also took the opportunity to heap praise on Neymar. He sees the star as the team’s “thinking head” and wants him playing through the middle as a playmaker.

“When we have Neymar, you need to get him involved in the game. He’s going to make the difference, as he did. If you play him as a fixed center forward and make him run, that’s not right. He’s a thinker, the team’s thinking head. He has to play in midfield. On one of those balls, he put Thaciano one-on-one with the goalkeeper. He plays the way I think is best for him, creating plays. He was crucial for us in today’s win,” he assessed.

Although Neymar is confirmed out against Flamengo, Cuca was evasive about whether the player will be available for the match against Deportivo Cuenca in Ecuador, in Santos’ Copa Sudamericana opener. The coach is handling the star’s physical condition with caution.

“That will be discussed tomorrow. He took a knock early in the game and was receiving treatment in the locker room. We’ll see tomorrow how the player is and decide what to do. After that, we have Galo here, Coritiba, another Sudamericana match… We’re going to handle his condition very carefully,” he concluded.

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League table situation

With the result, Santos ended a four-match winless run and moved up to 12th place in the Brasileirão with ten points. It was also the team’s first win under coach Cuca.

Santos’ next match

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