Brazil coach Luiz Phelipe Scolari said he enjoyed the ups and downs of his team against a spirited Cameroon side and asked the media for storing the privacy after his side’s 4-1 win over the Indomitable Lions of Africa at the National Stadium, Brasilia on Monday.
The coach elaborately on the match and also focused upon the upcoming second round encounter against Chile. “Standing by the pitch I enjoyed the pressure, the ups and downs with a high volume of adrenaline. I will see the match again tomorrow and design the next plans,” said Scolari.
The 65 year old probably lost his cool once in the first half when he fired hot words to David Luiz whose overlap created a big gap in the left flank when Marcelo was still in the Cameroon half and both Thiago Silva and Dani Alves were operating in the right. As a result, there was no one in front of Scolari apart from the Cameroon attackers. Scolari’s subsequent angry reaction and the instructions he was giving Luiz were caught by the spider cam. “It is not fair to show all the human reactions to the media. The players and the coaches need some privacy. They are human beings,” said Big Phil.
The experienced coach figured out what went wrong for his team in the first half. “I saw my players being too quick which is not the way. They have to be more cool, serene and focused, and they were trying to do it all. We corrected it during the interval. You saw how we corrected our long ball strategy. Oscar and Hulk were busy to collect the long ball, but we corrected the mistakes in the second half and produced a good performance. It was not 100 per cent but I am happy,” said Scolari.
He pinpointed Neymar’s role in the team. “We depend on Neymar like Argentina depend on (Lionel) Messi. The top level players make the difference in all teams and Neymar fits well in so much of what we do,” opined the coach. However, he did not forget to shower Cameroon with respect. “Judging by the way Cameroon have played, it is hard to believe that they lost all the three matches. They are a good side,” commented Scolari.
The Brazil coach also seemed to be relieved to see his team’s forward Fred register his name finally in the score-sheet. “I saw Fred before the match. He was an anxious man. I spoke to him. He was a bit down, but gradually he grew in confidence. I have full faith in him and I admit at the same time that he is not the Fred of the Confederation Cup. I must also add that he is playing in a little different position,” said Scolari.
When asked if he feels insecure with his defense, Scolarl reacted strongly. “I don’t have a single drop of fear with my defense. I am fully confident about them. It was a difficult and different match,” opined the Big Phil.
Philpao thanked the Brazil fans for the support they have rendered towards the team. “I feel the tenderness, it’s amazing. It’s also wonderful to see how the fans cheer us up when we make a mistake. It’s incredible and we thank them for the support,” said Scolari.
Scolari warned his team ahead of its second round duel against Chile. “I have played against Chile two times before and I know how difficult a side they are. Some people think we will beat Chile easily but they are a quality side. They are a well organized South American team. If I had the chance to choose our opponent, I would not have chosen them,” concluded the 65 year old who previously won the 2002 World Cup as the coach of Brazil.
