Brazil will be anxious to avoid the nightmare scenario of a round-of-16 showdown with Spain as they launch into the World Cup.
Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side start as firm favorites to top Group A against Croatia, Mexico and Cameroon, and then go on to win the World Cup for a sixth time, but Scolari will have warned his side against the dangers of complacency. The penalty for failing to win the group could in all probability be a meeting with Spain in the second round.
Sections of the Brazilian crowd booed the team after they made hard work of beating Serbia 1-0 on Saturday, but Scolari remains confident.
Photo: Reuters
“I think we come into the World Cup in good shape. We are keen for things to get started now,” Scolari said.
Brazil open the tournament against Croatia in Sao Paulo tomorrow, a match that should be a formality for the hosts. Croatia have not beaten Brazil in two previous encounters, which included a defeat in the 2006 World Cup.
Croatia finished a distant second to Belgium in the qualifiers and were made to work hard before securing their place in Brazil with a 2-0 aggregate victory over Iceland in the playoffs.
Croatia’s task against Brazil has been made more difficult by the suspension of star forward Mario Mandzukic following the Bayern Munich striker’s dismissal for a stamp in the playoff win over Iceland.
On-form Brazil would expect to take all three points in their second game against Mexico on Tuesday next week. Mexico only reached the finals following a playoff win over New Zealand after scraping through in fourth place in the CONCACAF qualifiers.
Yet while Brazil comfortably beat Mexico 2-0 at the FIFA Confederations Cup last year, the hosts know that on their day El Tri can be awkward opponents and Mexico have a lot to prove after their narrow qualification.
Mexico defeated a strong Brazil side 2-0 in a June 2012 friendly and later that year scored an upset 2-1 win to deny Brazil a long-awaited first Olympic gold medal at the London Games.
It remains to be seen whether Mexico can trip up Brazil once more.
Their final preparations saw them suffer 1-0 defeats to Bosnia and Portugal, and the form of star striker Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez is a concern.
Mexico central defender Hector Moreno believes the squad will benefit from being unburdened by expectations back home.
“We’re arriving under a lot less pressure than on past occasions, when people expected great things from the team,” Moreno said. “The general feeling is that we don’t have anything to lose and that’s how we’re approaching it. I think that we’ll pleasantly surprise a lot of people.”
Mexico’s meeting with Croatia is likely to be the decisive game in the battle to see who joins Brazil in the round-of-16, with Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions arriving in Brazil in a familiar state of disarray.
The Africans only headed for Brazil after a last-ditch wrangle over pay and bonuses for the tournament was resolved.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care