Brazil will face Uruguay in the upcoming Copa America Quarterfinal on July 7, Beijing time. Before the match, Brazil's main striker Rafinha attended the press conference and expressed his views on the upcoming match.
Endrick starts and changes in duties
On the debut of new teammate Ndelic, Rafinha said: "The addition of Ndelic will undoubtedly bring us more attacking options, but I don't think my personal responsibilities will change much. I'll continue to play my role in my position unless the coach asks me to do otherwise. Endrick has excellent adaptability and can play multiple positions, which gives us more flexibility in the game. All three of us - me, Endrick and Rodrigo - have the ability to adapt quickly to any position, which will make opponents elusive."
Individual goals and team wins
Talking about his personal goals, Rafinha revealed, "In every game, I hope to contribute at least a goal or an assist. But my primary goal is always to help the team win. If the team wins, even if I don't score a goal or an assist, I will still feel very satisfied. I have taken a variety of approaches to improve my abilities, including hiring a company that specializes in individual performance analysis to help me. In the game against Colombia, I managed to score a free kick, which made me feel very excited."
Familiarize yourself with your opponent and prepare for the game
Rafinha has deep connections with a number of Uruguayan players, having worked with Bielsa at Leeds United and been club teammates with Uruguay international Araujo. I know Bielsa's tactical system very well and his teams are very good physically, technically and tactically," he said. Uruguay has a lot of high-level players, but we have equally good players who can compete with them. We are looking forward to a tough game against a team that is eager to beat us and are well prepared."
Competition Outlook and Confidence
Rafinha is confident about the upcoming matches: "Since the friendly against Mexico, our mentality has completely shifted to the Copa America. We have faced all different types of opponents and challenges, including strong teams like Costa Rica, Paraguay and Colombia. These matches have made us more mature and confident. The match against Uruguay will be an important test of our recent efforts and I am confident that we will be able to meet any challenge."
Responding to criticism
Responding to criticism and questions about the Brazilian team, Rafinha said, "We know that there are a lot of people who don't see us as a team and think that Uruguay will have an easy time of it. But the Uruguayan side doesn't think that way, and they know it's going to be a tough game. In a high-level match like this, anything can happen. We won't be influenced by outside talk, we'll just focus on the game itself and prove ourselves with real action."
