BRASILIA: Brazilian midfielder Casemiro admits the pressure of playing for the national squad is felt by the players, urging his teammates to continue to maintain momentum after opening the Copa America campaign with a win.

Goals from Marquinhos, Neymar and Gabriel Barbosa allowed Brazil to beat Venezuela 3-0 in the campaign which took place at home.

Often seen as the team of choice, Casemiro admits they are always under pressure, but need to accept it.

“This jersey is too heavy. It has a long history. No matter the friendly, the Copa America, the qualifiers, the World Cup, you have to play to win because of his high will.

“Those who are selected need to respect this jersey no matter what the outcome. However, here it is all about giving their best and always wanting to win.”

Meanwhile, Marquinhos recalled that his goal was so important when it ‘paved the way’ for his team to win.

“I believe this team managed to do what we wanted. We knew we would face a team that would rather defend, thus making it difficult for us to play.

“Thank God we managed to open the network and that made it easier for us.

“We know how important it is to score goals even as a defense, let alone in a game like this.

“The first goal is so important because the opposing team will play a little openly.”