Mumbai: “I think the 2014 World Cup was a disaster for Brazil. They need to match up with Europe, even in terms of physicality. We have the talent and we need to renew the unit,” said Andre Moritz, who scored a hat-trick and helped Mumbai win their second match of the Indian Super League here on Saturday.
Moritz, who is from Brazil, is hopeful that his national team can also bounce back the same way (like Mumbai did after a devastating opening match against Kolkata) in the next FIFA World Cup.
So how did a team combine so well, after a forgetful first match, that it ended up being a one-sided affair? “I think the communication was spot on between the players,” said Moritz, who was remarkable upfront with Subhash Singh.
Subhash, who is in the squad on loan from I-League club Shillong Lajong, stunned the opponent with his pace. It seemed both the forwards had been playing for years.
“We had training sessions together which helped during the match. He is a smart guy. It is easy to play with smart players,” added Moritz, who was training with Crystal Palace before coming to India.
Coach Peter Reid – who stressed solely on better passing on the eve of the tie – was a happy man. “These players can pass the ball well. We also had a clean sheet,” he said.
However, Reid said it was a team effort which won Mumbai the match. “We had clean sheet after conceding three goals against Kolkata. I think the control in the middle was great. Peter Costa was fantastic. In fact, there is no single player you can point out and say that he did not play well. Also, the team spirit is Mumbai and not Indians or foreigners,” he said.
