Dorival Junior believes the pressure of being Brazil's main man can sometimes weigh Vinicius Junior down, just as it did Neymar in years gone by. (More Football News)
Brazil beat Ecuador 1-0 to end a three-match losing run in the CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup qual✃ifiers on Friday, though their performance was far from convincing.
Rodrygo's defle♒cted first-half strike handed Brazil a crucial three points, yet they were indebted to goalkeeper Alisson for making a huge one-on-one sܫave to deny Moises Caicedo on the stroke of half-time.
Having endured a torrid time at the Copa America earlier this year, Vinicius was quiet again on Friday, failing to complete any𝓀 of his four dribbles and losing possession 14 times – more than any other ꧑Selecao player.
Brazil's recent performances have come in for steꦛrn criticism at home, but Dorival believes everyone connected with the national team needs to have more pa🗹tience.
"We want to see players in the condition where he produces at all ti🌃mes, in the same way he does at his club," Dorival said of Vinicius. 🎶;
"We always have cycles within the clubs themselves, we have moments when Rodr𒊎ygo will be featured ove🎉r a few months, soon Vini will enter this same condition.
"We 🦋have to be ver꧒y calm. This same expectation was generated around Neymar, that at all times Neymar had to be the solution to our problems."
Neymar himself has not played for eit🍃her Al-Hilal or Brazil since rupturing his a🉐nterior cruciate ligament during the Selecao's 2-0 defeat to Uruguay last October.
Dorival cited his recovery as yet another area where ♛Brazil's supporters must have more understanding.
"If we have a little patience and receive Neymar at the moment the team is more balanced, I have no doubt he can make a very big d♈ifference with the ability he has, with those who are here," he added.
"We have to learn that these processes are lengthy and require time an🧔d patience, which we do not have in our country.
"I say again to the Braz🍬ilian fans: have a little calm, let's first regain the confidence of the Brazilian team. We have players of the highest level, who play in the b꧒iggest clubs in Europe, as well as in Brazilian football.
"I have no doubt that we will have an aggressiv🅷e team like the fans want, playing in a regu🐻lar way and transmitting even greater confidence."
Brazil go to Paraguay for their ne🌄xt World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, having gone fourth in the 10-team group with Friday's slender victory.
