Under-15s: Rafael Nascimento praises mental prep for semi-final | OneFootball

Gabriel Silva / Ceará SC

Ceará are one match away from reaching the final of the U-15 Copa do Brasil. This Thursday, the 30th, at 10 a.m. (Brasília time), Vozão face Internacional at Granja Comary, in Teresópolis (RJ). With the clash in mind, Rafael Nascimento’s coaching staff focused preparation on the emotional and mental aspects for the semifinal, while also working on the players’ recovery due to the physical toll of the quarterfinal against Atlético-GO.

"We had a demanding match against Atlético-GO and needed to work twice as hard to turn the score around. So the focus of our preparation, knowing the level of the match and the strength of the opponent, is on helping the boys recover. But above all, on preparing them emotionally and mentally. In football, most of the time, the mental factor determines a match, how a player is going to behave on the pitch. That is a priority for us. Keeping that mentality strong, understanding that we got here on merit. It will be a difficult clash, but we are ready to keep doing what we’ve been doing and deliver what we’ve been delivering, without changing our identity, which is to play football. We will fight as hard as we can to be in the final of the competition," he said.

The black-and-white side go into the match after winning five games in the U-15 Copa do Brasil. In total, they have scored 22 goals and conceded only one. The match against Internacional will be broadcast exclusively on CBF TV on YouTube.

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