Opinion
Football
‘It was an unbelievable blunder,’ says Trajano, questioning Bento’s place in the national team.
José Trajano criticized goalkeeper Bento for a shocking mistake in a decisive match in Saudi Arabia, calling into question his inclusion in Brazil’s preliminary 55-man World Cup squad. Speaking on Cartão Vermelho from Canal UOL, Trajano did not hold back.
“A defender threw the ball in, and the excellent goalkeeper Bento went to catch it but ended up scoring an own goal. It’s something you’d see in a pickup game—no, not even in a drunken barbecue game. It was one of those unbelievable blunders. The guy threw the ball in, Bento jumped alone to catch it, the ball slipped through his hands, and it was a goal. Why does this Bento have a guaranteed spot in the list of 55 players [for the World Cup]? It’s a mystery. Taffarel is the one who selects the goalkeepers, but he has an incredible favoritism,” said José Trajano.
Rodrigo Mattos agreed with the criticism and stated he also does not see Bento as an option for the national team.
“I can’t see Bento or Hugo [Souza, from Corinthians] at national team level. The other two options are Ederson and John. I would take one of them—they are good goalkeepers,” said Rodrigo Mattos.
Mattos also commented on Neymar: “Although he had a better performance in the last match, Neymar is not at the level of this group of 26. Pedro has a chance. It’s not easy, but he might convince [coach Carlo Ancelotti]. He’s in a final fight to get in. For the other players, Neymar is difficult, but maybe, suddenly, by combination.”
Trajano also discussed the possibility of Endrick and Neymar being together in the World Cup squad.
“Both can fit. That’s possible because Endrick also plays on the right and can move there. But this list of 55 doesn’t mean anything in terms of these final doubts. Because you say, ‘Ah, Neymar is on the list of 55.’ Is he guaranteed for the World Cup? No. Is Endrick? No, he’s not guaranteed,” said José Trajano.
