Starting player on his debut, full-back Douglas Santos gains space in the national team and visibility with the fans This Tuesday (16), the person who gave an interview at the Seleção was left-back Douglas Santos. He knows how difficult it was to occupy the position he is in now. "We are always talking about always improving. Because we know that nothing is enough. So, we have to always try to improve", says Douglas Santos, a full-back for the Seleção. Little by little, without many realizing it, the Seleção started to have a starter who, for a long time, had no idea that he would play in a World Cup. "I wasn't very recognized in my city. Especially because I've been away for ten years. But, after the Brazilian team, we know that it's the biggest stage in the world, and that made me feel now, when I arrived on vacation, and I couldn't walk the streets much, people asking me even about the World Cup", says Douglas Santos. 📱Bookmark g1 on Google and follow the main news of the day Born in Paraíba, Douglas Santos trained professionally in Pernambuco, at Náutico. He also played for Atlético Mineiro, but spent his career abroad. At 32 years old, he plays for Zenit, in Russia. Olympic champion in Rio in 2016, he spent almost a decade without defending the national team. Until the chance came with Carlo Ancelotti. To become this face a little better known, Douglas Santos had to face strong competition. In this World Cup cycle alone, twelve left-backs were called up, by four different coaches. He won the spot in the final stretch. Douglas Santos spent almost a decade without defending the national team until the chance given by Carlo Ancelotti National Newspaper/ Reproduction First call-up with the manager: September 2025. He surpassed competitors remembered by different coaches, becoming the second player who played the most on the left flank since the end of the Qatar Cup - seven matches. And, when talking about Alex Sandro's experience, Douglas gained the coach's trust. He played the full 90 minutes against Morocco and should continue to start against Haiti. "Haiti is a team that demonstrated in its debut that it is very strong physically. They played a very good game against Scotland. We will have to play much more than we played against Morocco", says Douglas Santos. And it's good to get used to your own image on screens. That's what a Brazilian national team player at the World Cup is. Better to leave shyness outside the field. Comments Luiz Felipe Scolari, known as Felipão, and Renata Vasconcellos in New York, in the United States National Newspaper/ Reproduction Renata Vasconcellos: Douglas Santos preached caution against Haiti. They have physical strength, they can play closed. What are your expectations for the game? Luiz Felipe Scolari, commentator: My expectation is that we will start the game differently than in the last game, and that we will put pressure on, get a goal in the opening minutes to give our team a little more peace of mind. We can make a higher markup. A series of details that must be changed by Ancelotti - and that will probably change. We will achieve our result. Renata Vasconcellos: Especially because the debut has already passed, the second game... So, do you think Ancelotti will make changes to the team? Luiz Felipe Scolari: I think that, due to the team we are going to face and the result, we should have about three changes. Renata Vasconcellos: Which ones? Luiz Felipe Scolari: I don't know. That's up to Ancelotti. He will define it. But, he will probably define someone on the right side, another attacker, another midfielder. Something like that. And changes in marking later on to achieve this. Arbitration Débora Gares showed who will referee Brazil's next game: "Brazil faces Haiti this Friday, in Philadelphia, and will have an all-Spanish referee trio. Alejandro Hernández will be the main referee. He acted as fourth referee in the game between Scotland and Haiti in the first round of the Brazil group." The national team players rested at the hotel after a day of training. Bruno Guimarães, Gabriel Magalhães and Raphinha, who had been spared from Monday's activities (15), worked normally. On Wednesday (17), the Seleção trains again late in the morning at the CT. And, in the afternoon, there is a press conference with Danilo - one of the leaders of this group. Haiti Felipe Brisolla brought information about Brazil's opponent on Friday (19). The Haiti team participates in the World Cup for the second time. The other time was in 1974. But, because of the country's political and social problems, this is a team that has some peculiarities. For example, in the Qualifiers, they were not able to use their own country; they sent the games in other territories - Curaçao, Barbados. The coach, Frenchman Sébastien Migné, never set foot in Haiti. Of the 26 called up, only one plays in Haitian football. Most play in European football. Two of them, in England, are the main players: Jean Bellegarde, who plays for Wolverhampton, and Wilson Isidor, striker for Sunderland. It's a team that made a good debut against the Scottish team, it's a physical team, very strong, with intensity. However, they lost 1-0. 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