Rodrigo says Brazil is heading in the right direction as they prepare for the World Cup
2025-10-12 02:01
Brazil defeated South Korea 5-0 in a friendly thanks to goals from Esteban Willian, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior. Rodrygo said he and his team treated the friendly like a World Cup and believed the Selecao were on the right track.
In the match against South Korea, Guimarães passed the ball into the penalty area in the 13th minute, and Estevan Willian scored with a push, helping Brazil take a 1-0 lead. In the 41st minute, Casemiro passed the ball back to Rodrigo, who broke through the defense and shot into the goal, helping Brazil continue to lead South Korea 2-0.
Early in the second half, Estevan Willian secured possession and scored with a lob, extending Brazil's lead to 3-0. In the 49th minute, Rodrigo took a cross from Vinicius, adjusted his steps, and then fired home a low shot, making it 4-0.
With Cunha assisting Vinicius to score in the following time, Brazil finally defeated South Korea 5-0 away.
Rodrigo, the Brazilian striker who plays for Real Madrid, said, "I think the first thing is to maintain a solid defense. Everyone must participate in defense and help each other. When the defense is stable, the offense will naturally start to operate, and that's what happened in this game. I am very happy with this victory and I am also satisfied with my personal performance. Now I have to maintain this state and can't just stop after scoring two goals."
"We were all reminded to treat these two friendlies like World Cup finals, which is what I tried to do during the game. Everything went well and I'm very happy with the goal and the overall performance."
Rodrigo continued, "Compared to my own goal, I am more happy with the team's performance. Seeing the team's continuous improvement and growth, I feel that we are moving in the right direction towards the World Cup."
In addition, Brazil coach Ancelotti said, "I am satisfied with the team's overall performance. As long as a solid foundation is established and the defense is solid, the individual abilities of the front players can be fully utilized. The team played very well, Rodrigo performed very well, and so did Esteban William. The attack in the frontcourt was also very diverse, and we made full use of the talents of these players."
"The key to the game was the first goal. South Korea tried to defend with a pressing style and put pressure on our backline. However, Esteban Willian's opener broke through the South Korean defense and made it easier for us to control the tempo in attack."
On the other hand, Brazil will travel to Tokyo Stadium to challenge Japan in the next friendly match to continue preparing for the 2026 World Cup.
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