Victor: Rodriguez not ´special´

Brazil goalkeeper Victor talked down Colombia star James Rodriguez’s ability ahead of the FIFA World Cup clash between the teams.

Colombia attacking midfielder Rodriguez has starred in Brazil, scoring five times and providing two assists to help his team into the quarter-finals.

But Victor, Brazil’s reserve goalkeeper, said he would not describe the 22-year-old Monaco man as “special”.

“James is having a great World Cup. He’s a player that makes a difference. He has a lot of technical qualities and is experiencing a good moment,” Victor told reporters.

“For players that have that level of quality, you can’t give them any space. You have to cut off where they are marking goals, cut the distances between the goal, because a player with such good quality you can’t give them an inch of space because they always make the difference.

“He has a way of making goals, I wouldn’t say special, but he’s a player that gets to the ball well and is one of the good quality players from Colombia.

“We have to look to minimise the space that he has so he can’t make too much a difference against Brazil.”

Brazil midfielder Ramires said his team’s psychological preparation was a key, especially with the pressure they are under in front of their home fans.

“We have to be well prepared both technically and psychologically, all of this matters the moment that you get on the pitch,” he said.

“We are working very technically or tactically, and I think that the psychological aspect is important as well.

“But I think in terms of the psychological aspect, we’re prepared, because you are playing a World Cup in your country, so you have to be well prepared psychologically speaking and the technical and the tactical side of things we train here on the pitch.

“We are looking to do our best so we can make everything go right on the day of the game.”