Scolari focuses on Brazil’s defence
As Brazil prepare for their opening match against Croatia tomorrow in the World Cup kick off, Brazil have been paying extra attention to their defence.
Advertisement
Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari spent part of the team’s training session last Monday, making adjustments to his defensive setup, stopping practice several times to reposition players until he was satisfied.
One of the coach’s main goals in the last days of preparations was to make sure the team ready defensively in time for the opener.
“We know that if we don’t concede goals, our chances to win matches increase, because we know the kind of talent we have in attack,”; said Scolari. “It's important we are well prepared on defense so we are not caught by surprise.”
Right back Daniel Alves acknowledged that Brazil’s defence isn’t perfect, but said the team is working to improve before the opener.
When told that Croatia striker Ivica Olic said he saw spaces in Brazil’s defense during the warm-up matches, Alve acknowledged that adjustments still have to be made.
“Obviously, if we didn’t make mistakes, we would be a perfect team, and that’s not possible,” the Barcelona defender said. “If Olic saw spaces, then we have to make sure we fix that so he can’t find them anymore.”
The last time Brazil conceded a goal was in a 2-1 win over Chile in a friendly last November. Brazil beat Panama 4-0 and Serbia 1-0 last week in the last two matches before for the opening match in Sao Paulo.
Other Trending Stories
“Physically we are ready, but tactically we still have to adjust a few things,” Scolari said.
The coach's other main focus during the training was on set pieces - another area where he said Brazil still needs to improve.