I Cried With Neymar – Tite

Tite defended the tears of his superstar forward, Neymar, following the Selecao’s 2-0 World Cup win over Costa Rica, saying, “Crying is not a sign of weakness. I also cried when it was over.”

Neymar wept after Brazil scored twice in stoppage time to beat the Central Americans, a reaction that led the Brazilian media to suggest their team might be emotionally brittle.

“We mustn’t think that a moment of emotion is a sign of emotional imbalance,” Tite told reporters on the eve of the Group E match against Serbia where Brazil need a draw to qualify for the last 16. Brazil opened the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Switzerland, with Neymar and Philippe Coutinho providing the goals in the victory over Costa Rica.

“I understand that there has to be a balance between reason and emotion, and there is a moment when you need ice, calm and lucidity,” he told a news conference.

Tite then remembered that he also cried after Brazil won 3-0 away to Ecuador in a World Cup qualifier in his first match in charge two years ago.

“I want to tell the whole Brazilian nation that … I cried,” he said. “When I called my wife, I cried with happiness, with satisfaction, because my characteristic is to be emotional. I cried with pride, as we were under so much pressure to play a good game.”

Tite added that Brazil had refused to allow desperation to creep in as they pressed for a goal against Costa Rica — a sign of mental strength.

“What is maintaining your game plan? It’s when you score a goal in the 91st minute by playing with the style the team has been playing since the start of the game. I was very happy with the way we reacted emotionally in the second half,” he said.

Hoping to lead Brazil to a sixth world title, Tite said Neymar, who had a three-month injury layoff before the World Cup, needed one more game to reach full fitness.

He said: “Neymar is in this state of recuperation because he is a player with a physical condition out of the ordinary. Otherwise he wouldn’t be in his current shape right now. I am not here to defend anybody. Like when he played against Croatia and he did so well he transmitted that sense of calmness to the rest of us. It was a clear situation of evolution.

“We are not placing an excessive responsibility on Neymar’s shoulders for success or failure. It’s the whole team which wins or loses.”