Franclim Carvalho, the head coach of Botafogo, highlighted the importance of earning a point on the road against Atlético-MG in the Brazilian Championship. His team fell behind early but managed to secure a late equalizer in stoppage time.
Acknowledging a poor first half, Carvalho took responsibility for the team’s sluggish start. “We came here unhappy, of course, because we didn’t win and we always aim for victory. But this is an important point. We were constantly chasing the draw after falling behind, and we got it at 90 minutes. It’s clear the second half was much better than the first. In the first half, it was my fault—things didn’t go well, especially with the ball. In the second half, we improved both with and without the ball and managed to equalize. We wanted all three points, but this is another point added to our journey,” he said.
With the result, Botafogo reached 18 points and sits in 11th place in the standings. Their next match is on Thursday at 6 PM against Chapecoense in the Copa do Brasil. In the Brasileirão, they will face Corinthians on Sunday at 4 PM at Nilton Santos Stadium.
Carvalho also commented on midfielder Danilo, who is vying for a spot in Brazil’s World Cup squad. The coach expressed satisfaction with his performance. “We always expect this type of player to dominate the field. There’s a lot of football and many minutes played, and the opponent also tries to block our game. He had a chance from a corner and later a shot, but it fell on his right foot, and his stronger one is the left. He’s an athlete who always looks for the game, earns respect from opponents, and that’s why there’s pressure on him. I was pleased,” the coach added.
