João Pedro and Reinaldo plan to start the year with a title for Grêmio

Three days before the Gaucho Championship final, left-back Reinaldo and right-back João Pedro gave a press conference at CT Luiz Carvalho. They talked about the clash with Caxias next Saturday (8), at 4:30 pm, at the Arena, and made an assessment of the start of the season for Grêmio, which reaches the State final this weekend and already has the first game of the third phase of the Copa do Brasil against ABC-RN, next Thursday, in Natal. Arena Porto-alegrense reported that tickets for the match are sold out.

How to face Caxias without major scares?

Reinaldo – “We have to do what we’ve been doing throughout the championship, attack the opponent. Inside or outside the house, we are always in possession of the ball, we are moving, we have a chance to score. It doesn’t have to change much, it has to maintain and score the goals we’ve been scoring at the Arena”.

Do we see the best João Pedro or is there still room for improvement?

João Pedro – “I don’t follow sports criticism, but I’m happy if the view (of me) is positive. There’s still a lot to evolve. Like it or not, I made five or six games, and that’s not even close to what a sequence of games can do in terms of physical and technical aspects. So I have a lot to improve”.

How important is a title at the beginning of the season?

Reinaldo – “It’s very important. Starting with a title gives you confidence to start the Brazilian Championship and the Copa do Brasil. With a title, everything is lighter to work with”.

João Pedro – “Actually, it’s the second, there was the Recopa. It is very important for the team’s confidence. It is important to leave with this positive result”.

Does Grêmio have the conditions to confront Palmeiras and Flamengo?

Reinaldo – “I think so. Grêmio put together a very competitive team. Whether in the Brazilian, in the Brazilian Cup, the opponent that comes, we will face on equal terms. The team assembled this year has a lot of quality to go head-to-head with rivals”.

João Pedro – “I believe we have a very qualified and competitive team. Any opponent we’re going to face, if it’s to take points from us, it’s going to be very difficult. The mentality of each player is very good, so it will be very difficult (for the opponents)”.

And the discussion in the corner against Caxias, Reinaldo?

Reinaldo – “I had already taken three corners and the ball was going in the same place. I said ‘enter the first stick, the ball is fine’. He said he wanted the second one. Discussion is forever improving. Franco hits a more traveled ball and I hit a faster one. I told him there that, when I go to hit, it is for him to go for the fastball on the first stick. The discussion is to keep everyone connected”.