Ney Franco sees the “perfect” night for Cruzeiro, makes reference and outlines the goal of the 1st matchday | cruise

– We deserved (of the victory). The game was worrying because of our position at the table, the emotional pressure and the opponent. We faced Ponte Preta, who started the round in second place, with the most positive attack in the competition. In addition to working with the team in possession of the ball, offensively we did the job of adjusting the score. We celebrate the victory and the way we achieved it. We play very defensive, offensive and with dead balls.

“It was a perfect night. The fan leaves happy, this is the great challenge. The meaning of a club is its fan. We gave the fan this joy. More than that, we also gave ourselves joy, internally, that we are working very under pressure “- Ney Franco.

For the coach, Cruzeiro’s exhibition, this Wednesday, should serve as a reference for the next matches.

– I think that this result, in addition to the score, will bring a direct reflection on the emotional. Remembering that it’s just a victory. We have many difficult matches ahead of us, and this game becomes a benchmark in the way we hope to see Cruzeiro in the competition. Hopefully we have competition. I, as a coach, build teams in this profile for the next matches, so that our players buy into the idea and achieve, during the match, have that technical, physical, tactical and emotional return of involvement with the game.

Challenge: appear in the rear view of the leaders in the 1st round

Ney Franco revealed that he made a challenge to the Cruzeiro players: that the team managed to finish the first round of Serie B by appearing at least in the rear view of the squad at the top of the table.

– I hope it is a victory that puts us in another direction. Our big goal is to climb, and now we have set ourselves a short goal with the athletes. In these final seven games (of the turn), we have to finish this first phase of the championship close to the G-4. We have to turn the clock with the leading teams looking back. We have to have this ability to get closer, so they can see the Cruzeiro coming from the rear view. This is the great challenge.

For the objective to be met, a good result in the next round is essential. Raposa faces the leader Cuiabá, away from home, at 10 pm (Brasilia time), next Saturday.

– Very difficult game. In addition to the technical quality of the rival, Cuiabá leads the championship. It is a difficult city to play. All the teams that are playing there are having problems, mainly in the physical part. (…) In my opinion, it is a test game: face the leader. We are facing the vice leader, now he is facing the leader and playing with the same competition, to try to add the sixth point in two games, which will gradually put us in better conditions in the table.

Other answers from Ney Franco

Ramon, Henrique and Sassá help in defense

– The defensive system played a very well positioned game, with the protection of Henrique. Henrique did not play for a while, he worked last week, we did physical work with him. This week we started working with the ball. He gave protection. Ramón, Henrique, Sassá’s own entry, who tightens the brand up front, which ends up having a reflection in the defensive system, because it is more protected. Ramón had already entered the game against Avaí, very well, playing as a midfielder. He is an athlete I know from the Vitória youth teams. He has a midfielder and defender formation. In the collective, he played a safe game. Individually, it turned out very well. Another option that we have in the squad for the next matches. It showed not only to the fans, but to the coaching staff that we have a player who assists us in the competition. Remembering that we do not build a competitive team only by analyzing the 11 starting players.

Evolution of games

– (We had) the ability and the peace of mind to reach the last third of the field, make the right move, make the right decisions. In this match we managed to score three goals, as we could have done against Avaí, who was in our goal only once and had the ability to score. I think our team has evolved. Speaking of the three home games: we played well against Vitória, we managed to win, we played better against Avaí, but we didn’t win, and (against Ponte) we took a step forward. Besides playing well, we managed to score all three goals. (…) We managed to translate the opportunities we made into goals into goals, which shows that the team evolved on the offensive side.

– We have to build this team little by little. It was great to finish the game with some players under the age of 21. Today Caio (Rosa) entered, who was in the juveniles. We finished the game with Maurício, who is under 21 years old, we finished the game with Rafael (Luiz), with Matheus (Pereira), Jadsom, along with experienced players, such as Fábio, Daniel (Guedes), Manoel, Ramón. Little by little, we will build this team, within the reality of a club that cannot register players in the competition. We are in a very difficult moment in Cruzeiro, under construction, and this construction implies the use of base players and the positioning of older players, to provide support.

Sassá and missed chances

– In relation to Sassá, the performance could have been crowned by the two scoring opportunities he had. A ball that we scored high, we stole the ball, we made the rival miss, and Sassá got in the face of the goal, he did not enter. Then, a center that entered the area, but was close to a defender. But, as I said: he is a player who, although he is on the offensive side, helps a lot to take away the quality of the opponent’s ball. He scores hard, collides with the defender, takes a hit, hits. He doesn’t let defenders work easily, combing the ball. He does these things, we work a lot on that. He rested well in the Cruzeiro jersey, and I’m sure he’s a player who will help us a lot in Serie B.

Reflection of training in the game

– Against Avaí we could not transfer what we had trained to the game. Against the Bridge, we did it. We train well, we transfer to the game. And in the game, which is the most important, we were competent in all areas: technical, tactical, emotional, physical, to face this great team and achieve this victory. We go out to celebrate, because it has a positive aspect to the score, but it also has a huge impact on the emotional side of our work.