LIMA, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Midfielder Bruno Guimaraes has hailed the impact of new Brazil manager Fernando Diniz after the team's barnstorming start to South America's World Cup qualifying tournament.
The five-time world champions began their campaign with an emphatic 5-1 home victory over Bolivia on Friday and have now turned their attention to Tuesday's clash against Peru in Lima.
"He [Diniz] has instilled a lot of belief in us," Guimaraes told reporters on Sunday. "He sees football differently and is a great motivator. I think there's still a lot to do because we've only had four training sessions with him but the game against Bolivia showed that we are on the right track."
Guimaraes has been capped 13 times for Brazil but has made only four starts. One of those came against Bolivia at Belem's Mangueirao stadium and he made the most of his opportunity with a commanding display that included an assist for Rodrygo's second goal.
The 25-year-old Newcastle United playmaker revealed a desire to become a more central figure in the Brazil team under Diniz.
"I've had a lot of call-ups but not many minutes until now," he said.
"This [World Cup] cycle, I want to be more active. Despite my limited time, I have good numbers with the national team. The midfield sector is very important and the less you make mistakes, the more important you feel. I want to be more influential and I feel prepared for the challenge." ■
