CHINA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Brazil warm up for Zambia match in Beijing

Record ID: 255462

  • Title: CHINA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Brazil warm up for Zambia match in Beijing
  • Date: 14th October 2013
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (OCOTOBER 14, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BRAZILAN PLAYERS WALKING ONTO PITCH AT THE BIRDS NEST STADIUM BRAZIL'S NATIONAL TEAM COACH LUIZ FELIPE SCOLARI WALKING STRIKER NEYMAR WALKING OUT FOR TRAINING JOURNALISTS PLAYERS PREPARING FOR TRAINING VARIOUS OF TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) MIDFIELDER LUCAS MOURA SAYING: "I think this game is a very important one for us because we will play at the Bird Nest and we are preparing the World Cup. So it's still preparation for the World Cup although it's just a friendly." TRAINING SCOLARI TRAINING CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) DEFENDER MARCELO JUNIOR SAYING, ASKED IF A LONG JOURNEY COULD AFFECT PERFORMANCE, SAYING: "To some extent, there is some influence. It's not a big problem for us. We have been in Asia for a week so I think it's not a problem for me." VARIOUS OF TRAINING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (PORTUGUESES) BRZAIL'S NATIONAL TEAM COACH LUIZ FELIPE SCOLARI SAYING: "It's definitely a good thing to play the World Cup in Brazil. At home the Brazilian people will create a good atmosphere for us. Being under so much pressure is quite normal for us." JOURNALISTS NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 29th October 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAC9F50NYFZY6GNI4UJH0JDM92E
  • Story Text: Brazil coach Scolari leads his squad into Beijing for a pre-World Cup friendly match against Zambia.

    Fresh from beating South Korea in a pre-World Cup friendly, Brazil's players prepared on Monday (October 14) to face Zambia in Beijing as their Asian tour continued.
    Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari took his squad for a training session in Beijing's iconic Birds Nest Stadium, constructed for the 2008 Olympics
    on Tuesday where they will face the African side on Tuesday (October 15).
    Brazil qualify automatically for the 2014 World Cup finals as hosts and are touring Asia while World Cup qualifiers are being played across the globe.
    But even though the tour is billed as a series of friendly games, the players are still competing for places on Scolari's squad list as the veteran coach makes his plans to capture the trophy on home soil.
    Paris St Germain midfielder Lucas Moura told Reuters: "It's still preparation for the World Cup although it's just a friendly."
    Scolari fielded a strong side against South Korea in Seoul on Saturday as the South Americans chalked up an easy 2-0 win against the 2002 World Cup semi-finalists, Neymar and Oscar scoring in each half.
    "Big Phil", as he is known by the Brazilian media, has already won the World Cup for his country, in 2002, and does not seem to be suffering from the enormous expectation for success heaped on his shoulders back home.
    "It's definitely a good thing to play the World Cup in Brazil. The Brazilian people will create a good atmosphere for us. Being under so much pressure is quite normal," he told a news conference.
    Brazil's next fixture is against Honduras in Miami, USA on November 16.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register