Micale's style: four forwards and a team that doesn't concede goals.
Coach Rogério Micale managed to qualify the Brazilian team for the Olympic final at the Rio Games without conceding a single goal and spoke about his game plan: "We preach to the players to attack with 11, starting the offensive play with the goalkeeper, which is not so common here for us, but it's what football demands today. And conversely, when you switch gears, you can't just work with the defensive players, with the defensive sector acting. I think we have to play with all eleven," said the coach, after the 6-0 thrashing of Honduras.
By Eduardo Simões
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Coach Rogério Micale managed to qualify the Brazilian team for the Olympic final at the Rio Games without conceding a single goal, despite fielding a team with four forwards and only two midfielders, and praised the team's fighting spirit in achieving this feat.
Micale's team plays with an attacking lineup of Gabriel Jesus, Gabigol, Neymar, and Luan, and has only two midfielders, Renato Augusto and Wallace. Despite this, goalkeeper Weverton has yet to concede a goal in this Olympics.
"We're telling the players to attack with 11, starting the offensive play with the goalkeeper, which isn't usually so common here for us, but it's what football demands today. And conversely, when you switch gears, you can't just work with the defensive players, with the defensive sector acting. I think we have to play with all eleven," said the Brazilian coach after Brazil thrashed Honduras 6-0 in the semi-final.
Micale used Neymar's lightning-fast goal, scored just 14 seconds into the rout against Honduras at the Maracanã, which secured Brazil a spot in the Olympic final, as an example of what he called the fighting spirit and dedication of the Brazilian Olympic team.
"Today our team is doing this very well, starting the marking with a more advanced player. We had the opportunity to score a goal under pressure from Neymar right at the beginning of the game. The team's secret is that they give their all, playing with 11 men at all times during the game," he stated.
Author of two goals in the semi-final against Honduras, Neymar was also the player most praised by Micale after the match. The coach described the Barcelona star as "a monster," although he admitted that he considered taking him out of the game against Honduras on that hot Wednesday afternoon in Rio when the tie was already decided and a place in the final secured.
"At some point I did feel tempted (to take Neymar off)," the coach said in a press conference after the match. "But Neymar recovers quickly. Within 24 hours he's already back to full recovery, within 48 he's completely recovered. At this specific moment he needs rhythm more than rest."
Brazil returns to the field on Saturday to try and win its first Olympic gold medal.