DURBAN, South Africa (AP)?The team to watch at this month?s Confederations Cup looks like Brazil, not European champion Spain.
A 4-0 victory at Uruguay put Brazil on top of World Cup qualifying in South America. Now it hosts longtime leader Paraguay on Wednesday.
More important, the nearly perfect performance in Montevideo, where Brazil had not won a World Cup qualifier in 33 years, showed the team?s defensive qualities, not just its attacking flair, and answered the coach?s many critics.
?From the moment that Brazil manages to equal other teams in terms of motivation and will to win, our technique will make the difference,? said Dunga, whose often sour demeanor contrasts with the traditional smiling face of Brazilian soccer.
?That?s why we say that talent is not enough. Talent is extremely important, but it has to be united with other things to have any effect. History shows this. On a lot of occasions, Brazil have had players of very high quality but haven?t got the results.?
Dunga, who in 1994 captained Brazil to its fourth World Cup title, has spent much of his time as national coach fighting criticism that he doesn?t pick the right team, doesn?t play the right formations and can?t get the best out of his players.
He defiantly refused to select Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, saying they were not in shape, yet stood by Adriano after the troubled striker left Inter Milan to deal with personal problems back home. None of those three will be on the squad when it arrives in South Africa on Thursday.
Dunga will be relying on Robinho, Luis Fabiano, Alexandre Pato and Kaka to score (and who can stop them?) at the Confed Cup. Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Adriano will clearly have to play their way back onto the team if they want to come to South Africa for next year?s World Cup.
Maybe Saturday?s performance will silence the critics, especially if another victory in Recife on Wednesday sends the Brazilians to the Confederations Cup with a belief they can win this tournament a record third time. This event features host South Africa, World Cup champion Italy and six regional champs.
Dunga?s South American champions are in the tougher group, with Italy, record six-time African champion Egypt and CONCACAF winner United States, which has improved under Bob Bradley and appears on course to reach its sixth World Cup in a row.
At least the Brazilians have avoided Spain, which takes a 31-game unbeaten run into the tournament and is considered the world?s best team. The Spaniards, who have only Andres Iniesta missing through injury, face New Zealand, Asian champion Iraq and the host. -easy group!
That sets up the mouthwatering possibility of a Brazil-Spain final at Ellis Park, Johannesburg, on June 28 provided both teams win their groups to avoid each other in the semifinals.
Spain won the European Championship last year for the first time in 44 years, playing an entertaining but effective style of soccer. In strikers Fernando Torres and David Villa ahead of midfielders Xavi Hernandez and Cesc Fabregas, it has the players to unlock any defense. But it will miss Iniesta, one of five Spain players who memorably helped Barcelona capture the Champions League by beating Manchester United 2-0 in the May 27 final.
For Brazil, defender Alex and midfielder Anderson are sidelined while right back Maicon is struggling to be fit. But Dunga has the ideal replacement for Maicon in another Barca star, Daniel Alves, who scored on Saturday, plus top defenders in Lucio and Juan.
With Julio Cesar in goal, Dunga has perhaps the most balanced lineup in Brazilian history, a departure from the attacking teams of years past that simply tried to outscore opponents.
Dunga?s team appears to be gathering pace at the right time with the World Cup a year away. The only team to play in all 18 World Cups so far, Brazil seems certain to make it to No. 19 and now is reaching the kind of form that could take its record to six titles.
Then it would defend the title at home in 2014. But don?t expect Dunga to be around.
?In 2014, we will have to look for a different type of preparation,? he said. ?But in 2014, there will be another coach. Leave the problem to him.?
Yahoo.com
A 4-0 victory at Uruguay put Brazil on top of World Cup qualifying in South America. Now it hosts longtime leader Paraguay on Wednesday.
More important, the nearly perfect performance in Montevideo, where Brazil had not won a World Cup qualifier in 33 years, showed the team?s defensive qualities, not just its attacking flair, and answered the coach?s many critics.
?From the moment that Brazil manages to equal other teams in terms of motivation and will to win, our technique will make the difference,? said Dunga, whose often sour demeanor contrasts with the traditional smiling face of Brazilian soccer.
?That?s why we say that talent is not enough. Talent is extremely important, but it has to be united with other things to have any effect. History shows this. On a lot of occasions, Brazil have had players of very high quality but haven?t got the results.?
Dunga, who in 1994 captained Brazil to its fourth World Cup title, has spent much of his time as national coach fighting criticism that he doesn?t pick the right team, doesn?t play the right formations and can?t get the best out of his players.
He defiantly refused to select Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, saying they were not in shape, yet stood by Adriano after the troubled striker left Inter Milan to deal with personal problems back home. None of those three will be on the squad when it arrives in South Africa on Thursday.
Dunga will be relying on Robinho, Luis Fabiano, Alexandre Pato and Kaka to score (and who can stop them?) at the Confed Cup. Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Adriano will clearly have to play their way back onto the team if they want to come to South Africa for next year?s World Cup.
Maybe Saturday?s performance will silence the critics, especially if another victory in Recife on Wednesday sends the Brazilians to the Confederations Cup with a belief they can win this tournament a record third time. This event features host South Africa, World Cup champion Italy and six regional champs.
Dunga?s South American champions are in the tougher group, with Italy, record six-time African champion Egypt and CONCACAF winner United States, which has improved under Bob Bradley and appears on course to reach its sixth World Cup in a row.
At least the Brazilians have avoided Spain, which takes a 31-game unbeaten run into the tournament and is considered the world?s best team. The Spaniards, who have only Andres Iniesta missing through injury, face New Zealand, Asian champion Iraq and the host. -easy group!
That sets up the mouthwatering possibility of a Brazil-Spain final at Ellis Park, Johannesburg, on June 28 provided both teams win their groups to avoid each other in the semifinals.
Spain won the European Championship last year for the first time in 44 years, playing an entertaining but effective style of soccer. In strikers Fernando Torres and David Villa ahead of midfielders Xavi Hernandez and Cesc Fabregas, it has the players to unlock any defense. But it will miss Iniesta, one of five Spain players who memorably helped Barcelona capture the Champions League by beating Manchester United 2-0 in the May 27 final.
For Brazil, defender Alex and midfielder Anderson are sidelined while right back Maicon is struggling to be fit. But Dunga has the ideal replacement for Maicon in another Barca star, Daniel Alves, who scored on Saturday, plus top defenders in Lucio and Juan.
With Julio Cesar in goal, Dunga has perhaps the most balanced lineup in Brazilian history, a departure from the attacking teams of years past that simply tried to outscore opponents.
Dunga?s team appears to be gathering pace at the right time with the World Cup a year away. The only team to play in all 18 World Cups so far, Brazil seems certain to make it to No. 19 and now is reaching the kind of form that could take its record to six titles.
Then it would defend the title at home in 2014. But don?t expect Dunga to be around.
?In 2014, we will have to look for a different type of preparation,? he said. ?But in 2014, there will be another coach. Leave the problem to him.?
Yahoo.com