The laws of the game don’t permit the use of saliva on the ball as per an update last year

Mohammad Isam30-Nov-2023

Glenn Phillips was shown on TV applying saliva on the ball during the third day’s play of the Sylhet Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand. The incident took place after the first ball of the 34th over, when Phillips appeared to apply saliva on the ball before delivering it. On-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Paul Reiffel, however, didn’t intervene or take any sort of action at the time.When contacted by ESPNcricinfo, an ICC spokesperson said that it was up to match officials to “deal with on-field incidents, and we don’t give statements”.At the post-match press conference, Bangladesh team manager Nafees Iqbal confirmed that he had seen the footage, and had “informed the fourth umpire”.Law 41.3 of the game, updated and put into effect on October 1, 2022, says: “When cricket resumed following the onset of Covid-19, playing conditions were written in most forms of the game stating that applying saliva to the ball was no longer permitted. MCC’s research found that this had little or no impact on the amount of swing the bowlers were getting. Players were using sweat to polish the ball, and this was equally effective.”The new Laws will not permit the use of saliva on the ball, which also removes any grey areas of fielders eating sugary sweets to alter their saliva to apply to the ball. Using saliva will be treated the same way as any other unfair methods of changing the condition of the ball.”The previous instance of a player applying saliva on the ball, by Alishan Sharafu during a Nepal vs UAE ODI in November 2022, resulted in Nepal being awarded five penalty runs.

Stuttgart are relaxed about the speculation surrounding Nick Woltemade, dismissing talk of a move to Bayern Munich as a result of the "silly season".

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Stuttgart dismiss Bayern rumours, insist Woltemade is staying
• Reported €100m fee "not rooted in reality," says club chief
• Supercup vs Bayern could feature Woltemade for Stuttgart

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Despite reports that Bayern have agreed personal terms with Woltemade over a summer transfer, Stuttgart sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth insists the 23-year-old striker remains under contract at the club until 2028 and is expected to stay.

  Bayern's honorary president, Uli Hoeness, recently praised Woltemade and expressed a desire to sign him, either this summer or the next. However, Wohlgemuth refuted the suggested €100 million (£85m/$109m) valuation and said the figures circulating in the media are "far from reality," adding that Bayern’s official interest has not changed Stuttgart's stance.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Woltemade's deal with Stuttgart lasts for three more seasons, and the team plan to keep him on for the 2025–26 season. Having won the DFB-Pokal, Stuttgart will participate in the Europa League, adding to their motivation to retain key players.

  Although Bayern reportedly value the striker, they are unwilling to meet even Stuttgart’s supposed asking price of around €70 million (£60m/$76m), which further complicates a possible transfer. Stuttgart have not lost any key players this summer, unlike in previous years. This shows that they are determined to fight strongly in both domestic and European competitions.

• WHAT WOHLEGEMUTH SAID

  "Few things are bigger than the silly season," Wohlgemuth said to when addressing Bayern’s interest.

  "A lot has been written and a lot has been said, but that doesn't change the facts… we made a long-term agreement with Nick almost a year and a half ago, and we assume that he will play football for us next season."

  On the transfer fees reported in the media, he added: "These sums are merely rumoured by the public and basically have nothing to do with reality."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR WOLTEMADE?

  Stuttgart will face Bayern in the DFL-Supercup on August 16, raising the question of which team Woltemade will represent. The transfer window closes on September 1, giving Bayern a limited period to make a formal offer if they wish to push forward. Stuttgart are preparing for the new Bundesliga and Europa League campaigns with Woltemade in their squad, but developments may yet occur before the deadline.

An emotional R Ashwin has expressed his immense gratitude towards India’s “outstanding” captain Rohit Sharma for his leadership and “heart of gold” during last month’s Rajkot Test against England.Ashwin, who took his 500th wicket and played his 100th Test during the series against England, had to temporarily withdraw from the third Test in Rajkot because of a health emergency concerning his mother. He left his team-mates after play on the second day and rejoined them late on the fourth day.”It all kicked off on the second day, though it’s a bit blurry now,” Ashwin said on his Youtube channel. “I was on 499 wickets I think, and was hoping to reach the milestone in the second Test in Vizag, but it wasn’t to be. But on day two in Rajkot, I finally got Zak Crawley. It wasn’t a particularly great ball, but I finally got to the landmark.””After the end of play, I had agreed to do some interviews and went to the press area. I’d just got my 500th wicket, so was expecting a call from my wife or father. I was a bit surprised not to hear from them, since it was almost 7 PM. But I figured they must be busy with interviews and responding to congratulatory messages, so didn’t think much of it.”After being unable to reach my parents, I finally got hold of my wife on the phone. Her voice was breaking. I told her I was just about to get into the shower, and she asked me to go somewhere alone, away from my team-mates. She said that my mother had collapsed after a severe headache.”Related

• Stats – Ashwin beats Murali's 100th-Test special, Anderson goes where no pacer has gone before

• Edgbaston 2018, Bengaluru 2017, and more – Ashwin reminisces his greatest hits

• Root on facing Ashwin: 'Don't play the previous ball'

• R Ashwin: 'If I am under pressure, I try to put the opposition under five times as much'

Ashwin said he couldn’t immediately process the news, particularly with the Test, and series, in the balance. England had ended the second day on 207 for 2 in response to India’s 445, with the series tied 1-1.”I just blanked out. I don’t remember what I did, but I was crying,” Ashwin said. “I didn’t know what to ask her. I didn’t want anyone to see me cry – it was an instinctive reaction. I just sat alone in my room, not knowing what to do.”On one hand, I knew I had to go back home, but there was also the thinking of how can I let my team-mates down. I couldn’t strike that balance. I didn’t know what to tell the coach or captain. I was in the XI, and if I go home now, we’d be left with only 10 players, giving England the advantage.”But I was also just thinking about my mother. And when was the last time I spoke to her. In my mind, I knew I had to go back home and see her, but the doctors were informing us that nobody was allowed in to meet her.”R Ashwin with his family on the morning of his 100th Test•BCCI

It was at this point of time, Ashwin said, that Rohit and head coach Rahul Dravid came into the dressing room, and made his decision a straightforward one.”I think since I wasn’t answering my phone, my wife must have called Rohit and Dravid to tell them the news. Rohit came in, saw me thinking, and just said, ‘what are you doing? You need to leave right away. Please just pack your bags and go'”.The next challenge was finding a quick way back home, but with no flights to Chennai scheduled till the next morning, Ashwin got help from an unexpected source.”I must say a big thank you to Cheteshwar Pujara as well, who spoke to a lot of people and arranged for a chartered flight for me.”Our team physio Kamlesh Jain is a good friend. Rohit told Kamlesh to accompany me on the flight to Chennai, despite Kamlesh being one of only two physios in the team.”I told Kamlesh, ‘it’s ok, please stay back’. But when I went to the board the flight, Kamlesh and a security person was already there. Not just that, but Rohit regularly kept calling Kamlesh to check in on me and see how I’m doing. That deeply moved me. In a selfish society like ours, that man who decides to take a moment to think of someone else’s wellbeing, he’s truly great.”Rohit is a special person, an outstanding leader, with a golden heart. I saw it first-hand. I’d give my life for him on the field, that’s the kind of captain he is. It’s because of these qualities that he’s won so many titles, including five IPLs. I pray to God that Rohit achieves even more in his career and life.”Ashwin’s stay in Chennai was brief, and after being informed his mother would make a recovery, he knew he had to re-join his team-mates in Rajkot. “My mother was initially surprised to see me. And that’s the difference in parents of previous generations and today’s. She only wanted what’s best for me. And wanted me to be with the team. Even in those circumstances, she kept thinking of me.”With the help of BCCI secretary Jay Shah, Ashwin was able to take another chartered flight from Chennai to Rajkot, and eventually linked up with his team-mates on day four. India won the Rajkot Test by 434 runs to take a 2-1 lead and eventually won the series 4-1 in Dharamsala with Ashwin taking nine wickets in his 100th Test.

Only Kohli’s 76 offered any resistance during India’s second innings, which lasted a mere 34.1 overs and featured nine single-digit scores

Alagappan Muthu28-Dec-20234:13

What went wrong in India’s bowling?

A fast-forward Test match came to a fast-forward end as South Africa rolled India over inside three days to secure victory by an innings and 32 runs. And boy, did they have fun doing it.Nandre Burger and his team-mates broke into a smile. He had found so much movement that the ball bypassed the wicketkeeper and ended up in the hands of first slip. India had spent 108.4 overs searching for help like that.Wiaan Mulder threw his head into the turf. He thought he had dropped Virat Kohli. But really what happened was the ball had moved so sharply it beat the leading edge as the batter tried to play a flick shot and bounced off his thigh towards first slip.Related

Avesh to join second Test squad to replace Shami

Jubilant South Africa put their name up in lights

Injured Bavuma ruled out of Cape Town Test

Rohit backs under-fire bowlers after three-day loss in Centurion

Centurion was alive.India, meanwhile, were barely holding on. It is unclear if SammyB on the ESPNcricinfo commentary feedback is South African but he nailed the mood when he said, “The high-pitched horror movie scream at 8.4 was quite something.” That was Shubman Gill, by the way, in pure panic as he tried to convince Kohli not to take a risky single.India’s batting lasted a mere 34.1 overs on Thursday and featured nine single-digit scores. That in a way highlighted just how poorly they had bowled, letting just one man outscore their second-innings total.So how did it happen? Why was there such a gulf? Well, once again, it had a lot to do with the pitch – it never died down, there was always help on offer – and the profile of the two teams’ fast bowlers.Virat Kohli was the only one who offered any resistance during India’s second innings•AFP/Getty ImagesEarly on, it was the good-length ball that was creating the most problems. Now, after two days of wear and tear and some excellent morning sunshine, it had shifted to back of good length, where cracks and divots were starting to form. Landing the ball there was creating variable bounce.South Africa had an attack better suited to exploit it. Higher release points. Better pace. And perhaps most importantly a lot of rest. Dean Elgar’s 185 and Marco Jansen’s 84 not out had ensured they were extremely fresh when it was their turn to bowl in the evening and they did not disappoint.Kohli did his best to keep them at bay, scoring a 76 off 82 balls, but he was always fighting a rising tide.Kagiso Rabada was transcendent, finishing with match figures of 7 for 91 and at least three of those wickets were the result of unplayable deliveries. One of them set the tone for India’s collapse.Rohit Sharma saw a ball that was angled into him. So he played for that, presenting the full face and doing so quite well. Except it wasn’t enough. Rabada had gone wobble-seam and made it impossible to deal with by hitting the in-between length and a had-to-play line. Rohit had to come forward but had no hope of reaching the pitch of the ball. He also couldn’t account for the way it moved because until it pitched – two or three metres in front of him – it was travelling down a straight line.Marco Jansen and Dean Elgar stretched South Africa’s lead on the third morning•AFP/Getty ImagesThat’s the thing with seam movement. It’s late and it’s deadly. Rabada generated enough to beat the full face of Rohit’s bat but not so much that it would miss his stumps.Burger, meanwhile, kept hitting that troublesome back-of-good-length consistently and was rewarded with four wickets, two of which were the result of batters unsuccessfully trying to leave the ball because it was bouncing all over the place. There were times when India were bowling that it seemed like the pitch had settled, but that was essentially because they are visitors to this land, they were tired, with too many overs in their legs. It had been five months since they played Test cricket. It was only natural that they wouldn’t be able to acclimatise as well as their hosts did.Case in point was Prasidh Krishna’s performance. He was selected ostensibly to be their hit-the-deck bowler. But a guy making his Test debut in conditions he has never played in with only 12 first-class games to back him up will struggle more often than not. The other debutant fared better because he knows how to bowl here. And that was the difference. Simple home advantage.Also, India were stuck trying to remove a set batter with an older and, therefore, softer and less responsive ball. South Africa had a brand new one and they made it count. It helped that they had a sizeable first-innings lead as well – 163 – built by batters who made sure they took every opportunity to hit boundaries.Even their allrounders were tuned into that plan. Jansen, who has been low on confidence as a bowler, played a glorious innings, the highlight of which were his drives down the ground, which once again is a sign that India were targeting the wrong areas. They strayed too full too often and Jansen punished them every time. He was on course for a maiden first-class century when he started running out of partners. In the end, he was left stranded because Temba Bavuma’s hamstring wouldn’t let him come out and give support. It was perhaps the only thing that disappointed the home crowd over the course of the last three days. They’ve been spoiled.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Fluminense faz nesta quarta-feira (9) sua última partida da temporada no Maracanã. Já classificado para a Copa Libertadores de 2023, o Tricolor das Laranjeiras recebe o Goiás às 19h em jogo com casa cheia válido pela 37ª rodada da competição nacional. O LANCE! transmite o jogo em tempo real.

A torcida tricolor já adquiriu em torno de 30 mil bilhetes antecipadamente e esgotou um dos setores do estádio. Embalada por três vitórias consecutivas, a equipe de Fernando Diniz luta para ratificar sua presença no pelotão da frente no Brasileirão.

Com 64 pontos, o Flu aposta na qualidade de Ganso e Jhon Arias, e no poder de decisão de Germán Cano, para sair do último jogo em casa em 2022 com três pontos diante da torcida.

>>> Quem escalar no Cartola FC? Confira as dicas posição por posição!

Após afastar o risco de rebaixamento, o Goiás volta-se nesta reta final para tentar uma vaga na Copa Sul-Americana. O técnico Jair Ventura tem dúvida entre Luan Dias e Fellipe Bastos no meio. Já no setor ofensivo, a presença de Vinícius também é incerta.

O Esmeraldino, que tem 46 pontos, deposita as fichas na boa fase de Pedro Raul, que está nas primeiras colocações entre os artilheiros do Brasileiro.

FICHA TÉCNICA

FLUMINENSE x GOIÁS

Data e hora: 9 de novembro de 2022 (quarta-feira), às 19h (de Brasília)
Árbitro:Paulo César Zanovelli da Silva (MG)
Assistentes:Guilherme Dias Camilo (Fifa/MG) e Fernanda Nândrea Gomes Antunes (Fifa/MG)
VAR:Daiane Caroline Muniz dos Santos (Fifa/SP)
Transmissão: Premiere. O LANCE! faz o tempo real do duelo.

FLUMINENSE (Técnico: Fernando Diniz)

Fábio; Samuel Xavier, Nino, Manoel e Cris Silva; Martinelli, Yago Felipe, André e Ganso; Arias e Germán Cano.

Suspensos: Nenhum

Desfalques: Calegari (lesão no músculo da coxa esquerda), Luan Freitas (ruptura de ligamento cruzado anterior no joelho esquerdo), Marrony e Pineida (em transição)

GOIÁS (Técnico: Jair Ventura)

Tadeu; Diego, Lucas Halter, Reynaldo e Sávio; Auremir, Luan Dias (Fellipe Bastos) e Marquinhos Gabriel; Dadá Belmonte, Vinícius (Renato Júnior) e Pedro Raul.

Suspenso: Hugo (terceiro cartão amarelo)

Desfalques: Caetano, Caio Vinícius (lesionados) e Danilo Barcelos (fora por questões contratuais)

تقدم فريق ليفربول بهدف في المباراة الجارية حاليًا أمام نظيره كريستال بالاس، في إطار منافسة كأس الدرع الخيرية، نسخة 2025.

ويستضيف ملعب “ويمبلي” مباراة كأس الدرع الخيرية بين ليفربول وكريستال بالاس، بطلا الدوري الإنجليزي وكأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي، على الترتيب الموسم الماضي.

وتمكن ليفربول من تسجيل هدف أول في شباك كريستال بالاس، وذلك في الدقيقة الخامسة من عمر الشوط الأول.

جاء هدف ليفربول الأول عن طريق اللاعب الجديد هوجو إيكتيكي، بعد تمريرة من الوافد الجديد كذلك فلوريان فيرتز، حيث وصلت إلى زميله الذي سددها على حدود منطقة الجزاء، لتسكن شباك الخصم. هدف إيكتيكي في مباراة ليفربول وكريستال بالاس

ويبدأ ليفربول حملة الدفاع عن لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، يوم الجمعة المقبل، بمباراته على ملعب “الأنفيلد” ضد بورنموث.

A mural commemorating Diogo Jota has been painted on the outside of a pub in Liverpool as the city mourns the passing of the Portuguese.

• Local artist paints Jota mural
• Forward passed away earlier in July
• City mourning title winner's death

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The mural of Jota has been unveiled on the outside of the Halfway House, a popular matchday pub in Liverpool, as the city continues to pay tribute to the iconic forward. The painting was created by artist John Culshaw, who is also a Reds fan, and depicts the former Portugal international smiling and producing his trademark goal celebration.

Advertisement

• Getty Images News
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Jota and brother Andre Silva passed away earlier this month following a car crash in Spain. Tributes have poured in from around the world of football and Liverpool remembered the siblings in their first pre-season friendly of the summer against Preston, with Jota's chant sang loudly by all fans in attendance throughout the match.

• WHAT THE ARTIST SAID

  Culshaw told the Guide Liverpool: "It shows Diogo Jota sending love out to the fans and by immortalising him in our city, it shows that we are sending the love right back.

  "We tried to make it a bit less about football and more about Jota and what he means to us, to the fans. That was the thought behind the heart design and why we decided to go with it – it’s about his emotional connection with the fans.

  "Jota seemed to have the sort of character that Scousers like to get behind, he always had a smile on his face and obviously he was a fantastic striker. Anybody who gets their own song, usually that’s a sign that they’re well-loved which he was."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images News
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Best wishes and condolences are still flooding in for Jota, with Manchester United trio Ruben Amorim, Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Jota recently laying a tribute to their compatriot outside Anfield.

Phil Parkinson says Wrexham are "close" to sealing a couple of signings as they near a club-record transfer for Liberato Cacace.

Wrexham near club-record transferParkinson says more signings "close"Preparing for life in ChampionshipFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

With Wrexham on the verge of sealing a record-breaking €2.5 million (£2.16m) deal for Empoli star Cacace, manager Parkinson says the Championship new boys won't stop there. How many they recruit, however, remains to be seen.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT PARKINSON SAID

When asked if Wrexham were close to any deals currently, he said: “Yeah, definitely. I think you know it’s out there in the media. We’re close to signing a couple of players. Obviously, (it has) got to the stage where it was pointless bringing players out here (New Zealand) because of the jet lag situation. So, we’re close to agreeing a couple of deals for players, but obviously, till the signatures on the dotted line, you can never say they’re done."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Wrexham are beginning to show they mean business as they prepare for life in the Championship with the potential acquisition of the New Zealand international. But they do need more incomings as striker Ryan Hardie and goalkeeper Danny Ward are their only signings to date.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Parkinson's Wrexham side begin their Championship campaign away to recently relegated Premier League side Southampton at St Mary's on August 9. The Welsh team will need to bring in some more players before then to give them a real fist of competing in the league.

Australia overcame tricky batting conditions at the SCG to take a 2-0 lead

Andrew McGlashan04-Feb-2024

Sean Abbott starred on his home ground with a standout all-round display as Australia overcame tricky batting conditions at the SCG to take a 2-0 lead in the ODI series. Abbott’s career-best 69 led a lower-order fightback for the home side then, after it was West Indies’ spinners who caused most problems, Australia’s quicks did the damage to the chase.Abbott finished with 3 for 40 – his third wicket coming courtesy of a stunning catch by Cameron Green at midwicket – to go alongside his half-century and for good measure added two well-judged catches. Will Sutherland, one of two debutants for Australia, claimed his maiden international wicket by removing Romario Shepherd. Josh Hazlewood, who was called up for this game as Australia managed their resources, showed his class with three scalps.Australia had been 91 for 5 and later 167 for 7, as Gudakesh Motie claimed 3 for 28, when Abbott dominated the closing stages with Sutherland offering support in an innings-high stand of 57. Abbott’s final score was the joint fifth-highest for Australia from No. 8 and below in ODIs.Related

Short ruled out of final ODI with McDermott called up

No rest on Abbott's mind: 'Hard team to get in, even harder to stay'

A number of Australia’s top order made starts without converting with four of the top seven falling between 26 and 41 before Abbott showed his prowess with a 54-ball half-century and struck consecutive sixes in the penultimate over before dragging on. In the 20 overs between Motie and offspinner Roston Chase there were just two boundaries as the spinners proved tough to get away.But Australia lost one of their spin resources for the second innings with Matt Short, who made 41, unable to field due to hamstring tightness. He was to be assessed in the coming days but must be doubtful for Canberra on Tuesday given the short turnaround.It meant all of Australia’s spin would be in the hands of Adam Zampa, so the early inroads made by the quicks were important. Aaron Hardie was given the new ball and started with an excellent spell that included two maidens as he found late movement. He claimed the opening wicket when Alick Athanaze skied to mid-off where Abbott added to his impact on the game.Hazlewood then had Justin Greaves taken by Sutherland at mid-off and when Abbott joined the wicket-taking, finding Kjorn Ottley’s edge, West Indies were 34 for 3. Captain Shai Hope and Keacy Carty, who played superbly at the MCG for 88, rebuilt for 13 overs before Hope was beaten by a ball from Hazlewood which kept low and smashed off stump. Soon after, Abbott struck again to end Carty’s promising stay with a thick edge to the keeper and things faded away.Australia handed out debuts to world-record holder Jake Fraser-McGurk, who replaced Travis Head at the top of the order, and allrounder Sutherland. Sutherland’s father James, the former Cricket Australia CEO, was at his cap presentation along with sister Annabel who had flown in early ahead of the rest of the Australia women’s squad to attend the game.Will Sutherland celebrates his first international wicket•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Xavier Bartlett and Lance Morris were rested after their debuts at the MCG with the selectors wary of there being three games in five days.Fraser-McGurk’s first international innings was brief but not dull. He swiped and missed at his first ball, was beaten by the bounce from his second, clubbed his third straight of mid-on and launched his fourth into the second tier of the Bill O’Reilly Stand. With his fifth it was all over, as he edged Alzarri Joseph to the keeper.Joseph had a second when Josh Inglis drove to backward point and when Steven Smith chopped on against Matthew Forde, Australia were 50 for 3 in the eighth over.By then Green was up and running having played three sumptuous drives in consecutive deliveries against Joseph but having had his flying start pulled back he miscued to mid-on. In the next over Marnus Labuschagne drove Motie to cover to leave Australia 91 for 5 and more than 33 overs still to bat.Short and Hardie, two of the less experienced players trying to forge their way in the one-day side, batted steadily in a sixth-wicket stand of 51. Hardie was given a life on 18 when he reverse-swept to cover but Carty spilled the chance above his head. However, it didn’t prove costly as Hardie gave his innings away when he pulled Motie to long-on.When Short also fell to Motie it was left to the lower order to nurse the innings through. Scoring was hard work for Sutherland, who was brilliantly caught at cover by Greaves, but Abbott cleared the fence three times in four overs with the first blow leaving a spectator needing treatment when he was struck in the pavilion.

MatériaMais Notícias

Um dos grandes nomes da Seleção Brasileira nesta Copa do Mundo, o atacante Vini Jr foi o escolhido do dia para falar em entrevista coletiva. E como não poderia ser diferente, o camisa 20 falou sobre as críticas que ele e seus companheiros receberam por causa de danças nas comemorações e avisou que não vai parar de bailar.

-O gol é o momento mais importante do futebol, onde não só nós ficamos muito felizes, como agora na Copa um país inteiro fica. Temos muitas comemorações para fazer ainda. Que a gente possa seguir fazendo muitos bailes e jogando bem para chegar até a final nesse ritmo. A galera gosta de reclamar quando vê o outro feliz, e o brasileiro é sempre muito feliz, então vamos sempre afetar bastante. Que a gente possa seguir com a nossa alegria, com a tranquilidade que tem muita gente por nós do que contra nós – declarou o atleta.

+ Veja a tabela, os jogos e os grupos da Copa do Mundo de 2022

Vini surgiu no Flamengo cercado de expectativa e hoje é, com méritos, nome de consenso na Seleção Brasileira. O jogador agradeceu o carinho e falou também sobre suas metas na carreira.

– Fico muito feliz com todos que me ajudaram, que ficam orgulhoso por onde estou. A cada dia mais tento trabalhar bastante para dar mais orgulho para eles. Todas as pessoas que me ajudaram estão aqui torcendo por mim e pelo hexa do Brasil.Fico muito feliz das metas que coloquei na minha vida, ter alcançado e com apenas 22 anos. Quero seguir todo o trabalho que venho fazendo até aqui para chegar neste momento, tenho os melhores jogadores ao meu lado, na seleção e no Real. Se Deus quiser, até dia 18 colocamos mais um na lista, e depois tentar ganhar tudo outra vez – frisou.

Se hoje Vini Jr é titular da Seleção Brasileira, o atacante não tinha esse posto absoluto até o início da Copa do Mundo. Perguntado sobre como foi o processo, o atacante falou que sempre trabalhou para estar entre os 11.

– Acredito que foi um processo normal. A comissão técnica e o Tite me deram argumentos onde eu precisava melhorar para chegar ao meu melhor nível. Aqui são muitas opções. Sempre que eu vinha tinha algo para melhorar. Sempre conversei muito com o Tite e o Ancelotti. Fico feliz, me preparei melhor. No momento certo eu sabia que iria ajudar a Seleção. Mas eu não quero parar por aqui – citou.

+Artilheiros da Copa do Mundo 2022: veja lista de jogadores que marcaram

VEJA OUTROS TRECHOS

Vitória sobre a Coreia do Sul: “Contra a Coreia tivemos mais espaço, normal que a gente consiga finalizar com mais tranquilidade, e nos outros jogos os adversários estavam um pouco mais compactos. Os chutes vão sair um pouco prensado. Mas sempre tivemos a tranquilidade que a nossa defesa é muito forte, então quando fizermos só um gol, a maioria dos jogos vamos vencer.”

O que falta melhorar?: “Acredito que temos que melhorar a cada jogo. Agora é um adversário completamente diferente da Coreia, vão vir com um bloco baixo para tentar tirar a nossa arma, que é a qualidade que temos no ataque. Cada jogo tentamos melhorar bastante. O professor dá tudo muito fácil no que a gente tem que fazer durante os jogos. Eu falo por mim, tenho 22 anos, tenho que evoluir e tento evoluir a cada jogo e treinamento. Nessa Copa tenho aprendido que é importante estar concentrado nos jogos do início até o fim.”

Favoritismo contra a Croácia: “A gente debate que nessa Copa não tem favorito. A Croácia na última Copa chegou na final. Não tem mais jogo fácil. Jogar contra a Croácia, que tem o Modric, Bola de Ouro há pouco tempo, é cada vez mais complicado. Nós temos a consciência tranquila que temos que entrar lá e mudar o que se passou nos últimos anos, ganhando as quartas de final, chegar na semi e ir um passo de cada vez.”

Relação com Modric: “Sempre é muito difícil jogar contra jogadores de grandes qualidades. E o Modric sempre me ensinou bastante, continua me ensinando no dia a dia, faz de tudo para eu seguir evoluindo. Eu pego ele como espelho, um cara de 37 anos jogando no nível dele, algo raro, mas que jogadores como ele, Cristiano, Thiago Silva, que têm uma idade que já não era normal, mas está virando a normalidade. A gente fica feliz por isso, eu fico feliz de jogar contra ele, e que vença o melhor.”

Companhia com Neymar: “Realização de um sonho, né. Eu acompanhei a carreira toda do Ney, sempre foi o meu maior ídolo. Sempre quis estar perto dele, fazer as coisas que ele fazia dentro de campo. Com o passar do tempo foi virando um amigo, hoje é um irmão que me dá muitas dicas. Todo jogo, antes de começar, ele tira toda a responsabilidade de cima de mim, do Raphinha, Paquetá, Richarlison, os mais novos. Ele puxa essa responsabilidade para ele. Ele tem a tranquilidade também de que pode confiar na gente nos momentos importante. E estar junto com ele é viver um sonho que nem todos podem viver. É o nosso melhor jogador, o ídolo da maioria da galera que tá aqui, então ficamos felizes de estar perto dele.”

Sensação de jogar a Copa do Mundo: “A gente sempre sonha jogar na seleção, todo brasileiro sonha estar na Copa do Mundo. Eu tive a sorte de jogar com meu ídolo, ele me dá todo suporte que preciso. Seguir o caminho dele é importante, um jogador que está próximo do Pelé em gols, que se Deus quiser vai trazer o hexa para nós, então vamos seguir nesse caminho em busca.”