Was Paquetá bad v Morocco? Boto frank on Flamengo man's Copa debut | OneFootball

Flamengo football director José Boto commented on Brazil’s first World Cup match

Lucas Paquetá’s performance in the draw between Flamengo and Morocco on Saturday (13) is still being widely discussed. This time, the one who joined the debate was the club’s football director, José Boto. In addition to giving his opinion on the midfielder’s display, the Portuguese official also spoke about Danilo, who played the final 45 minutes.

— I think Paquetá, like almost the entire Brazil national team, delivered a performance a little below expectations. Danilo came into the match well, because he managed to contain Morocco’s left side, which was very dangerous, and stopped the attacks down that flank. These were two performances that, although not exceptional, ended up being positive — said Boto in an interview with the Spanish newspaper ‘As’, published this Tuesday (16).

HOW DID THE FLAMENGO PLAYERS DO AGAINST MOROCCO?

Lucas Paquetá was the only Flamengo player named in the starting lineup. At the beginning of the match, the midfielder looked nervous and misplaced passes he usually does not. However, still in the first half, in the closing moments, the number 20 nearly scored a stunning volley. Just when he was enjoying his best spell on the pitch, the academy graduate was substituted in the 15th minute of the second half.

Meanwhile, Danilo shone. After a dreadful first half from Ibañez, the Libertadores ‘hero of the fourth title’ came on in the second half and fixed the problem on the right side of the Brazil national team defense, as director José Boto pointed out.

WHAT IS PEDRO PAULO CATONHO’S OPINION ON LUCAS PAQUETÁ?

— Paquetá felt the weight of the debut. At the start of the match, the midfielder was drifting too much to the right side, where he does not feel comfortable, not even at Flamengo. When coach Carlo Ancelotti moved him more centrally and toward the left, Paquetá grew into the game. Unfortunately, just when the Flamengo man was having his best moment in the match, he was taken off — opined the Coluna do Fla journalist.

WHEN IS BRAZIL’S NEXT MATCH?

In search of their first win in the World Cup, Brazil return to the field this Friday (19) against Haiti at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time). Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, United States, will host the match, which will have full coverage from Coluna do Fla.

The match will be broadcast on free-to-air channels Globo and SBT. In addition, CazéTV’s YouTube channel will show the game. It is important to note that the match is crucial in Brazil’s push to qualify for the second round of the 2026 World Cup.

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