ULSAN, May 28 (Zoomsoccer) - Despite a 4-0 victory on Saturday, Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari says he is going back to the drawing board with his line-up for the opening game against Turkey.
Last week, Scolari said that he hoped the team he picked to play Malaysia would be the one he puts out in Ulsan on 3 June. He surprisingly opted for Kleberson ahead of Vampeta, but the rest of the line-up was as many pundits predicted.
However, after the lacklustre display, Scolari admitted that Kleberson was not the only player now vulnerable to a change of heart. "I didn't say that was the team - it was a draft. I have to watch the players' reactions and include those who are in best condition," Scolari said.
Scolari said that he was now considering Anderson Polga, who came for Edmilson and stiffened up the defence. Gilberto Silva and Vampeta now appear to be in with a chance of replacing Kleberson.
Scolari also admits that he is facing a tactical dilemma after switching his preferred 3-5-2 formation to 4-4-2 to good effect in the second half.
A Brazil válogatott 1000. meccse volt 99'-ben Bolívia ellen!
1000 - BRASIL 3-0 BOLÍVIA (Brazil 3-0 Bolivia)
Data (Date): 10-12-1999
Tipo (Class): amistoso restritivo (restrictive friendly)
Competiçăo (Competition): amistoso (friendly)
Local (Place): Estádio José Fragelli
Cidade (City): Cuiabá (Brasil/Brazil)
Árbitro (Referee): Wilson de Souza Mendonça (Brasil/Brazil)
Brasil (Brazil):
(entre colchetes o time a que o jogador pertence/between brackets the team to which the player belongs)
1 - Marcos G
3 - Lúcio CD
4 - Roque Junior CD
5 - Edmilson CD
2 - Cafu RD
7 - Emerson DM
15 - Kleberson DM
11 - Ronaldinho Gaúcho M
6 - Roberto Carlos LD
10 - Rivaldo F
9 - Ronaldo F
KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 (Zoomsoccer) - Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is expected to field his first-choice team for Brazil's final World Cup warm-up game against Malaysia. This means that Rivaldo will return to the side after recovering from a knee injury that blighted the end of his season at Barcelona.
Kleberson replaces Gilberto Silva in midfield, with Edmilson coming into the three-man defence instead of Anderson Polga. Scolari has been trying out Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho in different attacking formations during training and will continue the experimentation in Saturday's friendly.
"Against Malaysia, we will start with one system and change it later so I will be able to really test the players. Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho can all change positions and this will be advantageous to us," he said.
An 80,000 crowd is expected to watch one of the biggest matches in Malaysia's history, but Brazil captain Emerson has warned them not to expect a footballing feast.
The Roma midfielder said, "There's not going to be any show, we have our main concern which is the match against Turkey. For us, this is just another preparation, another chance to play together, perfect a few things, correct a few mistakes. It's always our responsibility when we wear the Brazil shirt to win, we always have to win."
Malaysia coach Allan Harris promised that his side would give "100% commitment".
But he added, "We won't be too hard on them to ensure that the Brazilians won't suffer any injury as this is their last lap of preparation for the World Cup."
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Brazil fullback Roberto Carlos has effectively dismissed his team's opening World Cup opponents Turkey, saying the four-times world champions only need to play at 40 percent of their capabilities to beat them.
The Real Madrid player said he agreed with coach Luiz Felipe Scolari who has already claimed that Brazil can progress from group C -- which also includes Costa Rica and China -- even if they are not at their best.
"I don't want to put down our opponents, but I think if we can play to 40 percent of our capabilities, then we have an excellent chance of winning the first match," said the fullback, who has become almost as well known for his brash predictions as for his booming left-foot shot.
Roberto Carlos also denied that Brazil, who in the last two years have lost to opponents such as Australia, Ecuador, Chile, Paraguay, Honduras and Bolivia, were in decline.
Curiously, he blamed the format of the competition for Brazil's poor performance in the World Cup qualifiers.
"Brazil are still the team all the others want to beat," he said. "The players of Turkey, Costa Rica and China are going to play the game of their lives when they face us because they want to beat Brazil.
"That proves that we are still held in high esteem."
Asked to explain why Brazil lost six of their 18 games as they scraped through the South American qualifying tournament, he said: "It's because we had one group of 10 teams, which meant playing 18 games, instead of two groups of five, which meant playing ten."
He is less confident, however, when asked if he will score during the World Cup.
"I'm not promising goals to anybody. I promise good performances, I promise a lot of work, and above all, determination," said the player who has often been accused of saving his best for his Spanish club.
TWO CHANGES
Brazil face Malaysia, where they have been training all week, on Saturday evening before flying to South Korea the following day. Their opener against Turkey is on June 3.
Scolari is expected to make two changes to the team which started Brazil's previous friendly against Portugal in April.
Kleberson, who plays for Brazilian champions Atletico Parananese, is likely to replace Gilberto Silva in midfield with Edmilson coming into the three-man defence instead of Anderson Polga.
This means that, as expected, Rivaldo will return to action after missing the end of the season with Barcelona due to a troublesome right knee.
Scolari says that the same side has a good chance of starting against Turkey.
An 80,000 crowd is expected to watch one of the most prestigious matches in Malaysia's history but Brazil captain Emerson has warned them not to expect a footballing feast.
"There's not going to be any show, we have our main concern which is the match against Turkey," said the dour AS Roma midfielder.
"For us, this is just another preparation, another chance to play together, perfect a few things, correct a few mistakes.
"It's always our responsibility when we wear the Brazil shirt to win, we always have to win."