We managed to have a quick catch up with the captain of this year's Brazilian side Palmerias, Thiago Soares Nogueira, ahead of their next game in the semi finals of the Otten Innovation Cup, who chatted about adapting to the tournament rules and also the drive and heart of what makes Palmeiras who they are.
Identity
We have seen that Palmeiras have a very attacking and physical style of play at this year's Tournament which is something that is taught from a very young age. Thiago explained: ¨That is our identity, being a strong game, being a vertical game. It's the club's identity and our aim is always to get to the goal as fast as we can.¨
Tournament rules
The rules for the Otten Innovation Cup are designed to help drive the game forward, but for every club it always takes some getting used to: ¨Back in Brazil we practice the official rules but we have managed to adapt quickly. I believe the other teams also have a bit of difficulty, so it ends up that one team helps the other.¨
Different styles
So far Palmeiras have played against Manchester United, PSV and Adelaide in their opening matches, all of which have very different styles of football to what Thiago experiences in Brazil; ¨I think what we find most different is the tiki-taka. It is a lot of passing, a lot of one-touch play, a lot of directional control. So it's something very different from back in Brazil. What we have learned the most here from these sides is they have a more supported play, with more people close by and escape pressure not by playing long balls, but by passing. I think playing against different teams from different cultures is very cool. We learn a lot from opposing teams, and we also evolve through that too¨
Every club loves coming to Eindhoven to challenge themselves at the highest level, but for Thiago and his team mates it is far more than just football. ¨Every Brazilian kid wants to play in Europe, and being able to be here, playing against these big clubs is very cool.¨
Make sure you keep up to date with Palmeiras and all the latest news and scores from this year's Otten Innovation Cup online and follow along with games on PSV Play too.