Brazil defender Danilo admitted on Wednesday that his team's sluggish start to the World Cup was 'frightening,' but expressed confidence that they would improve. The five-time world champions face Haiti on Friday in their second Group C match after a 1-1 draw with Morocco last week.
'Frightening' Start
'It was frightening, because there was an expectation that we would produce a big performance,' said the 34-year-old Flamengo defender. 'When things don't work out, it's not easy to digest.' He added, 'We need to find balance. We were unbalanced both tactically and mentally.'
Brazil Among Contenders
Danilo acknowledged that Brazil currently lag behind favorites like defending champions Argentina and France, but stressed they remain leading contenders. 'We have to be clear: we don't yet have the maturity that France or Argentina have today as a team,' he said. 'That doesn't mean we can't perform well, win matches and go far. If we can add one more star to the shirt, that would be wonderful.'
Respect for Haiti
Despite Brazil's clear superiority on paper, Danilo said the team respects Haiti, pointing to surprise results like Cape Verde's 0-0 draw with Spain. 'Everyone saw how Cape Verde defended against Spain,' he said. 'Talking about thrashing Haiti would be crazy.'
Neymar's Return
Danilo also expressed hope that injured forward Neymar would soon return from a calf injury that has sidelined him since mid-May. Neymar received a playful guard of honor from teammates as he trained with them for the first time at the World Cup. 'I often talk with players about opponents... If you have a player like Neymar up against you, there's more pressure and you're always asking for help,' Danilo explained. 'Just by being on the pitch, he can disrupt everything the opponent has prepared.'
