Brazil are finally finding the right balance eight months after being left traumatised by their World Cup debacle on home soil, coach Dunga said after they beat France 3-1 on Thursday.
A 7-1 semi-final defeat by eventual world champions Germany, followed by a 3-0 loss to the Netherlands in third-place playoff left Brazil in tatters but Thursday’s friendly victory in Paris showed Dunga has put some self-belief back into the squad.
“I’m trying to give the players confidence after the World Cup and trying to find a balance,” Dunga, in charge since the finals following a stint from 2006-10, told a news conference.
Brazil have now won seven games in a row since their embarrassing World Cup exit, including on Thursday handing France their first defeat since the finals. Oscar, Neymar and Luiz Gustavo gave Brazil an emphatic win at the Stade de France after Raphael Varane had opened the scoring for Les Bleus, benefiting from the visitors’ clumsy defending at set pieces.
Meanwhile, eight months after the champagne corks popped following their World Cup triumph in Rio de Janeiro, head coach Joachim Loew has cause for concern as Germany’s Brazil 2014 hangover continues.
Only Lukas Podolski’s 81st-minute equaliser prevented Germany suffering a shock defeat to Asian champions Australia in Kaiserslautern on Wednesday in a 2-2 friendly draw.
