Brasil Siapkan Lini Serang Tanpa Endrick Jelang Lawan Maroko

Tim nasional Brasil mematangkan persiapan lini depan menjelang pertandingan pembuka Grup C Piala Dunia 2026 melawan Maroko di Stadion MetLife pada Minggu, 14 Juni 2026.

Pelatih Carlo Ancelotti memilih menempatkan penyerang muda Endrick sebagai opsi cadangan strategis demi mengurangi tekanan pada debutnya di turnamen akbar tersebut.

Komposisi lini serang utama Selecao kemungkinan besar akan diisi oleh Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, dan Matheus Cunha dalam formasi tegap 4-2-3-1.

Cunha yang bermain untuk Manchester United menjadi pilihan utama Ancelotti karena dinilai memiliki keunggulan taktis dalam memberikan tekanan serta menjaga keseimbangan pertahanan tim.

Kendati mengawali turnamen dari bangku cadangan, Endrick yang baru menyelesaikan masa pinjaman di Lyon memiliki target besar untuk menembus skuat utama Real Madrid musim depan.

Pemain berusia 19 tahun itu termotivasi oleh etos kerja ketat setelah sempat menepi selama 173 hari akibat cedera kaki kanan sepanjang tahun 2025.

"It’s going to be tough, it always is. That’s the law of football. It’s going to be tough, it always is. That’s the law of football. Wanting to work hard, from an early age, is something I have in common with Cristiano Ronaldo, but I don’t admire him just for his work ethic," kata Endrick dalam wawancaranya bersama GQ Brazil.

Penyerang belia tersebut menilai sosok megabintang Portugal itu sebagai figur yang memiliki perjalanan karier luar biasa sejak usia muda.

"He has tremendous talent and an inspiring story of overcoming adversity when he was young. If you’re in the middle of a season, you can’t do things that will set you back. It’s going to be tough; it always is. That’s the law of football," tutur Endrick.

Keputusan Endrick untuk memulihkan kebugaran di Prancis juga tidak lepas dari dorongan sang istri, Gabriely Miranda, saat ia kesulitan menit bermain di Spanyol.

"She asked me what I wanted. And she kept putting that into my head, and I started thinking about the importance of standing on my own two feet and making it happen," jelas Endrick.

Selama menjalani periode sulit di Madrid, ia mengaku tetap mendapatkan dukungan moral secara rutin dari rekan setimnya.

"The first year is always tough. You arrive at a club with players like [Luka] Modric, Vinicius, Rodrygo… It’s very difficult to play with all of them, but you also learn a lot. I’ve been able to put everything I’ve learned into practice at Lyon, and when I return I’ll be able to demonstrate it there," ungkap Endrick kepada saluran YouTube Men in Blazers.

Komunikasi intensif dijalin oleh Jude Bellingham dan Trent Alexander-Arnold yang terus membantunya beradaptasi meskipun ada sedikit kendala bahasa.

"Bellingham calls me every day. When I was feeling down, he’d pick me up and we’d talk. He helped me a lot. Trent too. They’re very approachable players. I try to learn from them, including English, but it’s impossible to understand them," aku Endrick.

Langkah peminjaman ke Lyon terbukti tepat karena ia berhasil mencetak delapan gol dan delapan assist di semua kompetisi berdasarkan data Fotmob.

"It wasn’t difficult to go to Lyon. In the end, God told me I had to go, and I went. I wasn’t afraid; it’s been one of the best decisions of my life. I needed to play. I’ve been able to score goals, provide assists, and play a lot of minutes," sebut Endrick.

Kini fokus sang penyerang beralih sepenuhnya untuk membantu tim nasional meraih kesuksesan tertinggi di Amerika Serikat.

"Playing in a World Cup is the greatest thing. Being able to represent my country is a dream come true. The World Cup is very important to people, and it's been a long time since we won it. Neymar has Brazilian DNA. He's one of the best in our history. I get along very well with Ancelotti. He's a great coach and understands you very well as a person. I know they have a lot of respect for me," pungkas Endrick.

Komitmen tinggi juga ditunjukkan sang pemain untuk skema permainan bertahan demi kebaikan tim secara kolektif.

"I’ll come back as a full-back, win the ball back as a defensive midfielder, and challenge for the ball up front as if I were a centre-back," janji Endrick terkait komitmen bertahannya.

Pemain yang terikat kontrak di Santiago Bernabeu hingga Juni 2030 ini kembali menegaskan kesiapannya menghadapi persaingan ketat sepak bola Eropa.

"It's going to be tough; it always is. That’s the law of football," tegas Endrick.

Ia berharap kondisi fisiknya yang prima setelah masa peminjaman dapat memberikan keuntungan besar bagi skuad Selecao.

"Wanting to work hard from an early age is something I have in common with Cristiano Ronaldo, but I don't admire him just for his work ethic," tambah Endrick.

Hasrat berkontribusi maksimal membuat pemain muda ini menepikan ambisi pribadi di lini depan Brasil.

"He has tremendous talent and an inspiring story of overcoming adversity when he was young," sambung Endrick.

Fokus penuh sepanjang kompetisi menjadi poin utama bagi dirinya agar tren positif performanya tidak mengalami grafik penurunan.

"If you're in the middle of a season, you can't do things that will set you back," kata Endrick mengakhiri sesi wawancara.

Di sisi lain, COO Roc Nation Sports Thiago Freitas menjelaskan bahwa pemilihan Lyon didasarkan pada analisis taktis yang matang.

“We considered many things: it had to be a club in one of Europe’s top five leagues, with a coach whose methods were similar to what he had experienced at Palmeiras, an attacking style, and participation in a European competition,” papar Thiago Freitas.

Pertandingan pembuka Grup C antara Brasil dan Maroko disiarkan secara langsung pada pukul 05.00 WIB.