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Playing against Barcelona is always tough.
We tried to play like we knew how to do.
We were invited to a ball,
and now we're going to dance.
The last match at Camp Nou!
What I have to say about the match Santos FC x Barcelona
is that everyone, even in Spain, was anxious about it,
and they were wondering before the match,
which team was that Santos FC,
which was changing its way of being.
We weren't widely known,
and Barcelona was Barcelona.
We had a training session at a small field the day before,
quite small,
it was more of a warming up,
we even had a few spectators.
They thought it'd be an easy match,
and when the match began we showed them,
relying on the boys who were playing,
that we had a huge potential.
Barcelona wasn't expecting that from us.
The match was going to be their opening exhibition of the season,
the first of the season tickets,
so they had to perform extraordinarily.
The match was interesting because Santos FC didn't allow that to happen.
The match...
when we left Brazil,
we were still...
getting adapted to this younger team,
Santos FC had a very young team,
with a few more experienced players, such as Claudiomiro,
an experienced player,
me, Aristizábal, who played for Colombia,
but our team was very young,
players such as Adiel, Jean,
there was Athirson, who was signed from Flamengo,
a very important player,
he was becoming a new star.
There was a huge concern on how to set up the team,
Leão was trying to settle things down,
and that trip was very important to us,
it gave us some international experience,
playing in Europe wasn't quite common
back then.
We had this opportunity,
which was very important for Santos FC,
specially to be able to face Barcelona.
Playing against Barcelona is always tough.
regardless of the generation.
Their team was a very strong one,
they were always disputing titles with Real Madrid,
they're a traditional team.
Their team had players such as Giovanni, Rivaldo, Figo,
Phillip Cocu, Nadal.
They had a very strong team,
a highly respected coach, Louis van Gaal,
who was their coach,
the Dutchman.
The match was really hard,
playing against Barcelona is already tough,
at any place and time,
especially when we face them at home.
It wasn't a easy match, we played very well,
we were playing a good Brazilian Championship,
we had a very strong team,
perhaps we weren't the most technical team,
but we very good physically speaking.
We knew how to play
both home and away matches,
so we went there and played a very good match against them.
Our team had some players
who were aware of their limits,
specially our defense line,
we knew we had to be more than we actually were,
or than we thought we actually were,
but always crossing our limits according to the possibilities.
That was a match when we crossed our limits
according to the possibilities.
I think it was great,
I think...
it was an inexpensive team,
and all inexpensive teams Santos FC has settled were successful,
becoming expensive teams afterwards.
Once again...
soccer as a team sport prevailed,
with some highly talented individual players.
We were trying to play our own game,
we were not much of a passing team,
we were a fast team, always counter attacking,
and we relied on individual plays,
we had very talented players,
Adiel, for instance, was a young player,
very young,
but very skilled.
Leão had great confidence in him.
Adiel was a little black boy,
with a big butt,
extremely skilled,
he was destined to be successful.
The goal I scored against Barcelona was very important,
I had just been promoted to Santos FC's professional team,
I was 17 years old.
Although I didn't score many goals for Santos FC,
three in total,
that one was the most important one,
I'm still remembered as the player who last scored against Barcelona,
but, hopefully, during this match against Barcelona,
one of you guys will score
and be remembered like I am.
Santos sempre Santos!
It's always a party,
the act of presenting your squad is always a big party.
Their fans were celebrating,
but of course that...
during those matches the teams are usually
in the beginning of the pre-season,
they play the pre-season matches, present their players,
and then they begin disputing the official competitions.
Considering the players Barcelona signed,
the quality of their squad was indubitable.
I said: "We were invited to a ball,
and now we're going to dance."
We don't need to be presented to anyone,
we just had to be invited,
we were invited and now we're here, on the field.
Do what you guys know how to do.
I think I didn't do much during that match,
I didn't perform many saves,
it was more of a passing game,
Santos FC had a very good defense line,
we knew how to play defensively speaking,
our defenders used to hold their plays back,
players such as Argel, Claudiomiro played in the midfield,
but he was also a defender,
there was also Anderson, our fullback.
I think our defense line knew how to play properly,
which helped me,
the goal we suffered came from...
a crossing,
it was a very fast move, and Rivaldo headed towards the goal,
and speaking of Rivaldo,
he was at the top of his game,
and the second goal came from a kick outside the box,
I conceded a goal that way,
as I said, they used to strike from edge of the box,
they didn't manage to get into our goal box playing.
It was a different match for us.
When we arrived we noted that their fans
were quite confident on Barcelona's performance,
already thinking they were going to defeat us,
even more when we consider the squad they had,
I knew some of their players,
and to present your squad during a victory is always good.
It was a great match for both sides,
I think all the fans, by the end of the match,
were applauding us due to the quality of the match.
Nobody expected us to play so out wide,
playing extraordinarily well like we did,
as well as Barcelona.
How is it like to play at Camp Nou?
It's easier than playing at Vila Belmiro.
I can assure you.
You might even not know, but I can assure you.
The Camp Nou might be completely crowded,
it's wonderful, looks like a pyramid,
the field is marvelous, the festivity is amazing,
the locker room is great,
but playing at Vila Belmiro is even tougher.
If they were to play against Santos FC at Vila Belmiro
it'd been even harder for them to win.
Vila Belmiro is different,
playing there...
the field size seems to be smaller,
but it becomes much wider when you are playing.
I played for Santos FC during three years,
I played at Vila Belmiro several times,
and we had our own way of playing there,
we used to impose our own rhythm while playing there,
which was great, used to help us a lot.
Concerning Camp Nou,
came as something completely new to us.
It was something new for me,
to get into the stadium, which is amazing,
which we were used to see on TV only.
It was a new experience,
and we had to pay attention to everything.
I used to establish referents points around the stadium,
and those references on the field
used to help me positioning myself.
Therefore I started observing the entire stadium,
in order to map the plaques which were in front of me,
on the left side and on the right side,
which helped me.
Vila Belmiro has always bewitched all players
because of what it represents.
Because of Zito, who played there, because of Pelé, who also did,
because of Pepe, Edu,
it's become a soccer stars factory.
When you get there,
you actually get restrained, you know?
It's environment is different.
Not at Camp Nou.
At Camp Nou the visitors become more willing to play,
at Vila Belmiro they become frightened.
It'll be great for the development of these boys,
they have to take the best our of this experience,
I'm quite sure these new players
Santos FC has been developing,
and Santos FC has been doing that for a very long time,
are highly talented players,
we hope they manage to take the best out of this experience.
It will be an experience to be told in the future.
I'm sure they will get more mature,
it will be great for everyone.
Barcelona's stars are not always shinning,
it depends on how the opponent plays.
I think their brightness may be used against themselves.
They have to mark properly, to dedicate themselves,
to play easily,
but also...
being audacious.
The "Meninos da Vila" have always been daring,
since their first generation.
I think they have to be daring when playing.
I think they have to do what they've been doing,
I don't think they should worry
just because they are playing against Barcelona,
and then change their defensive system.
I think they have to keep playing like they already are,
Santos FC has been playing with experienced players such as Durval,
and this is a great opportunity to all of them.
They have to run,
they have to dedicate themselves as much as possible,
they have to play closely,
they players have to be close to one another,
specially the defense line and also the midfielders,
they have to play closely,
and they have to mark them,
marking is definitely Santos FC's differential.
Barcelona has greatly changed its way of playing,
their squad has been set up for quite a long time,
and they have been signing excellent players,
everyone they sign is both outstanding
and powerful.
Neymar Jr. is the biggest example.
If you start imagining their attack line
with Neymar Jr., Messi and Iniesta,
we don't even need to mention the other players.
They are wonderful.
However,
Brazilians know how to,
collectively,
overcome the obstacles.
I hope they managed to do that once again.
Joan Gamper Trophy
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