Bielsa aiming for front-foot approach against Brazil

By Sports Desk July 06, 2024

Marcelo Bielsa has urged Uruguay to go out on the front foot when they face Brazil in the Copa America quarter-final on Saturday.

Uruguay topped Group C after winning all three of their games, scoring nine goals and conceding just once.

They come up against a stuttering Brazil side, who only won one of their matches to finish as runners-up behind Colombia in Group D.

Bielsa is determined to keep the team's focus on their own game plan, as they will try to catch Selecao out with their high-pressure approach from the start.

"Normally I focus on the sector of the pitch we play in, how we recover the ball, whether we threaten and how we threaten, and whether the way we build the attack is the style I want the team to play," Bielsa said in a press conference on Friday.

One player Uruguay will not come up against is Vinicius Junior, who has scored twice for Brazil at the tournament, as he is suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

However, the former Leeds United manager, who will be back on the touchline after serving a one-match ban against the USA, believes Brazil have strength in depth that can cause just as many problems as the winger.

"Personally, I don't think [Vinicius'] absence will affect us," Bielsa said.

"Brazil are a country that has a lot of wingers at both ends of the pitch at the moment, and they play in big teams all over the world.

"Brazil's replacement, Endrick, will not be easy to neutralise in Vinicius' absence."

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