POLAND: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Brazil coach Mano Menezes says he and his team are relaxed ahead of their friendly against Japan whose coach Alberto Zaccheroni says his team will need to attack

Record ID: 466643

  • Title: POLAND: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Brazil coach Mano Menezes says he and his team are relaxed ahead of their friendly against Japan whose coach Alberto Zaccheroni says his team will need to attack
  • Date: 15th October 2012
  • Summary: WROCLAW, POLAND (OCTOBER 15, 2012) (REUTERS) WIDE OF THE MUNICIPAL STADIUM, WROCLAW BRAZIL PLAYERS - ZENIT ST PETERSBURG STRIKER HULK (PUTTING A BIB ON), REAL MADRID FORWARD KAKA AND VASCO DA GAMA DEFENDER DEDE (RIGHT) BRAZIL COACH MANO MENEZES (RIGHT) WATCHES ON PLAYERS TRAINING / KAKA PASSES THE BALL SANTOS STRIKER NEYMAR TRAINING MEDIA VARIOUS OF BRAZIL PLAYERS TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BRAZIL AND ZENIT ST PETERSBURG STRIKER, HULK, SAYING: "We don't know the lineup for tomorrow yet. Of course it will be more difficult to play without Marcelo and of course without Alves, who is also injured, but we will try to play as well as usual." JOURNALIST TAKING NOTES BRAZIL COACH MANO MENEZES ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BRAZIL COACH, MANO MENEZES, SAYING: "I'm not afraid - if I was, I wouldn't be here with you. Of course I'm aware of the responsibility. What I'm doing and what I should do is to focus on the daily work to accomplish the most important goal for Brazilians - the World Cup." JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BRAZIL COACH, MANO MENEZES, SAYING: "I don't like to answer questions concerning the level of other teams. First because of the respect for the job other teams are doing and second because I'm more concerned about my own team's performance and I want to focus on it." VARIOUS OF JAPAN TEAM TRAINING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT - FLAGS OF JAPAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, JAPAN AND BRAZIL SOUTHAMPTON DEFENDER YUICHI KOMANO STRETCHING JAPAN COACH ALBERTO ZACCHERONI VARIOUS OF JAPAN TEAM TRAINING STANDARD LIEGE GOALKEEPER EIJI KAWASHIMA DIVES WHILE TRAINING WITH THE GOALKEEPER COACH (BACK TO CAMERA) WITH SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA GOALKEEPER SHUSAKU NISHIKAWA JUST BEHIND HIM (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) JAPAN COACH, ALBERTO ZACCHERONI, SAYING: "In my opinion Brazil is the team with the best technical skills. But that's not everything - above all they have a very positive attitude and represent all the best virtues in football, the dynamics - really all the best in football." JOURNALIST MAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) JAPAN COACH, ALBERTO ZACCHERONI, SAYING: "Naturally I think that tomorrow we should have a positive attitude and attack and fight, not like in the match with France. Maybe we didn't chicken out but played too passively." JAPAN PLAYERS WALKING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT - FLAGS OF JAPAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, JAPAN, BRAZIL AND FIFA FAIR PLAY, BEING HOISTED
  • Embargoed: 30th October 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Poland
  • Country: Poland
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA3PCN3XLLES7L33PZ9GZFKWPSA
  • Story Text: Japan and Brazil both trained at The Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw in Poland on Monday (October 15) ahead of the friendly between the two teams on Tuesday (October 16).
    Zenit St Petersburg striker Hulk admitted Brazilwould find it difficult without the defensive duo of Marcelo and Dani Alves.
    "We don't know the lineup for tomorrow yet," Hulk told reporters. "Of course it will be more difficult to play without Marcelo and of course without Alves, who is also injured, but we will try to play as well as usual."
    However, Brazil coach Mano Menezes said he felt confident as his side continue to prepare to host the 2014 World Cup.
    "I'm not afraid - if I was, I wouldn't be here with you. Of course I'm aware of the responsibility. What I'm doing and what I should do is to focus on the daily work to accomplish the most important goal for Brazilians - the World Cup."
    The Blue Samurai have never beaten the Brazilians in eight meetings, losing 4-1 the last time they played at the 2006 World Cup with Brazil great Zico as coach. But when asked about the opponents, Menezes declined to answer.
    "I don't like to answer questions concerning the level of other teams," Menezes added. "First because of the respect for the job other teams are doing and second because I'm more concerned about my own team's performance and I want to focus on it."
    The Asian champions are in confident mood after Manchester United's Shinji Kagawa scored the winner in a 1-0 upset over France in Paris on Friday (October 12), which was Japan's first victory over Les Bleus in six meetings.
    Alberto Zaccheroni's team will want to use Tuesday's game against the five-times world champions to sharpen up as they prepare for a World Cup qualifier in Oman on November 14.
    "In my opinion Brazil is the team with the best technical skills," Zaccheroni said. "But that's not everything - above all they have a very positive attitude and represent all the best virtues in football, the dynamics - really all the best in football.
    "Naturally I think that tomorrow we should have a positive attitude and attack and fight, not like in the match with France. Maybe we didn't chicken out but played too passively."
    Japan, who have played at every World Cup since first appearing in 1998, have 10 points after four matches in the final round of Asian qualifying for 2014.
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