The winger is proud not only of the players on the field but also of those on the bench.
As soon as the final whistle blew, another sound echoed from the stands—boos. Even though the match was on Brazilian soil, frustrated fans jeered their own team. However, Raphinha remained unfazed. Instead, he expressed admiration for his team’s performance and praised the efforts of both the starters and the substitutes.
Despite his recent fine form for club and country, Raphinha couldn’t make much of an impact in this game. His team didn’t secure a win either, as Brazil drew 1-1 with Uruguay in the South American World Cup qualifiers on Wednesday morning, Bangladesh time.
At least there was some relief in securing a point. Brazil had fallen behind in the 55th minute when Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde scored a stunning goal to put Uruguay ahead. Seven minutes later, Brazil found the equalizer through Joelinton, who struck a brilliant left-footed volley from the edge of the box.
It was the first international goal for the 27-year-old Flamengo midfielder.
After leveling the score, Brazil created a few opportunities to take the lead but couldn’t find the net again.
The fans’ dissatisfaction grew louder towards the end of the match, and the boos became more pronounced after the final whistle.
Raphinha understood the reaction from the crowd, but the Barcelona winger believes the team gave their all on the pitch.
“I think the boos were mostly because of the result,” he said. “In my opinion, we gave everything we had.”
“I’m proud of everyone who played today and even those on the bench. We did everything possible to achieve the result we wanted. We played a lot of good football, and we can hold our heads high.”
Despite Raphinha’s optimism, Brazil’s position in the standings is less than ideal. With 18 points from 12 matches, they are currently in fifth place. Uruguay sits second with 20 points, while Argentina leads the table with 25.
From this region, six teams will qualify directly for the 48-team World Cup, with one additional spot available through a playoff.
