After the 1-1 draw with Atlético-MG, coach Zé Ricardo spoke to reporters at the Maracanã stadium. He lamented that victory had eluded him, but classified the draw as a normal result against one of the Brazilian Championship title contenders.

Check out the full press conference:

Different times

At a certain point in the second half, the game became very open. Both teams have high-quality players, and technically, neither team made the most decisions. This increased the excitement. We lost control of the game a bit, but had great opportunities at the end, with Éverton and Guerrero. They did too. But we faced a great team, a great coach, players with exceptional quality, and a great coach. An extremely talented team that thrives under Roger's leadership. Of course, we wanted the win; we could have held on to a lead until the end, but today's result can be considered normal within the balance we'll find in the Brazilian Championship.

It was a combination of factors. The club's plan was to work with him starting with the Brazilian Championship. We couldn't count on several players, and this ended up creating the opportunity for him to start on the bench. It was the closest match to Berrío's characteristics, but without pressure. We're simply bringing the kid to experience the professional game. He has a lot to offer, and it's great that he's getting this stamp of approval for his debut, but we'll be very calm so that he can develop at his own pace, not at the expense of others. He's very young, 16, and as he adapts more, he'll be able to unleash his full potential. It's perfectly understandable that he's anxious. If we had the entire squad available, he might not be among those already selected. Little by little, he's gaining confidence in the professional game, which is completely different from the youth teams.

To remind him of the behaviors we trained, to pay attention to Carlos César and Elias's climbs if he needed to work on his recovery. In the end, I told him that he already has a spark, he doesn't need to prove anything to anyone, and that things will happen naturally.

It was a thrilling match, with both teams trying to win. Technically, neither team performed at a very high level. A group that's been on this kind of run, I told them about the importance of dedication. In the Brazilian Championship, we have great teams that will compete, and Atlético is one of them. The debut already set the tone for the competition, and it was crucial not to lose.

Rafael is enjoying a good run of form again. I congratulate him on his performance, not just on the goals he saved from the line. I also thank the fans for supporting him. He has great potential to be a huge help to us.

The biggest concern isn't concentrating for each tournament. It's training. How can you do specific training with multiple championship finals back-to-back? I'm absolutely certain that with more training, today's game would have been better. Because of this, I think our team had tremendous resilience. If we didn't lose, at least we got a point against a title favorite. Let's go for the victory, which would be crucial, against Atlético-GO.

We have no illusions whatsoever, neither about the victory we had nor about what we'll face. A strong team, the fans pack the stadium and push us constantly. They have a fast team, with three midfielders, great speed, and technical quality. They finished the first half with one point and could now even qualify in first place. The atmosphere will be completely different from our debut, where we did well to capitalize on that momentum. We need at least one point to qualify.

Rodinei will be the only regular player in the next match, on Wednesday. He can give us the option that Pará offers. I hope we play well enough to qualify. We won't play for a draw, and San Lorenzo defeated Atlético-PR 3-0. Now it's time to prepare and rest, because we have a battle ahead of us in Buenos Aires.

Matheus is the player who has scored the most goals among our young players in the professional ranks. He was a bit caught out by the marking in the early stages, but he was fortunate enough to score. A tight ball is difficult for the goalkeeper and defense, and with or without a deflection, it's dangerous. 

Some athletes, when they move from their country, sometimes have a hard time adapting. We work with them every day; we all have limitations, and we work on them to improve individually and collectively.