Uruguay and Brazil will face off in the Copa América quarter-finals on July 7th at 9 am. In his pre-match press conference, Uruguay coach Bielsa gave his opinion on the absence of Vinicius.
Speaking about Brazil star Vinicius’ suspension for the match against Uruguay, Bielsa said: “The Brazilian national team has a lot of world-class wingers, they are very strong, so even though Vinicius can’t play, the replacement they choose won’t be easily contained by us.”
Regarding Uruguay’s previous victories over Brazil in the World Cup qualifiers, Bielsa stressed: “What matters now is to face reality, all Uruguay players are available. However, it’s not appropriate to link past performance with the current game, because the player line-up, coaching staff, and overall sporting environment have all changed. The World Cup qualifiers are different from the Copa América, different in terms of season timing, tactical style, etc., so historical results should not be used as a reference.”
On the Uruguayan team, Bielsa said: “We need to look at where we move, how we intercept, when we counter-attack, whether we can create threats, and how to effectively organize our attack. We have found some positive signs, but at the same time we recognize that most aspects need improvement. Given the short break between games, the improvement effort relies more on verbal instruction than on practice.”
Mentioning Colombia, Bielsa expressed his appreciation: “Colombia is a dark horse, their impressive performance has earned widespread praise. They have a wealth of forward options, multiple choices in every position, and the level of play between substitutes and starters is close. Colombian players’ growth has benefited from their experience in the world’s top leagues, which has enhanced their competitiveness. They have maintained their innovation and passion while also enhancing their ability to adapt to modern football.”
As for the refereeing issue, Bielsa pointed out: “Refereeing controversies are not good for the health of football. Refereeing is already a difficult job, but technical intervention makes people more inclined to maintain preconceived notions about referees, which undoubtedly has a negative impact on football. The difficulty of refereeing is far greater than that of players, yet the public’s attention to referees is less than that to us coaches. Referees’ decisions may be fair or unfair, but the key is to judge whether they are correct. Games are gradually losing suspense, and their charm is also waning. Football is in decline, audiences are increasing, but the charm of football is diminishing, because we have not paid enough attention to the core elements that make it the world’s number one sport.”
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