Brazil coach Tite has admitted that winning the Copa América last year was crucial due to the expectation placed upon the team.
The 2014 World Cup semi-final defeat to Germany still looms large in the consciousness of Brazilian fans and players alike and Tite says winning this trophy has helped to heal those scars.
“Winning the Copa America, at home in Brazil, was a major challenge. Especially for the players who had experienced the affront of 2014- Dani Alves, Fernandinho, Thiago Silva,” he told FF.
“This title was all the more important since we had lost Neymar on injury just a few days before the start of the tournament.
“The pressure and the expectation of the supporters was considerable: winning was therefore the only option available to us.
“When you have to face Argentina from Messi, Uruguay from Cavani and Suarez, or Colombia and James (Rodriguez), its absence necessarily creates more emotional instability.
“Neymar reassures you, because he brings unpredictability to your game. Because he will offer you an individual or collective solution that the others do not have.
“And with him, the team’s potential is not the same. So winning without him and resisting this pressure made the group aware of its value, yes.”
