Brazil wants to use Mexico’s desperation to its advantage when the teams meet in the Confederations Cup on Wednesday. While Brazil opened with a convincing win over Japan, Mexico lost to Italy and needs a good result against the hosts to keep alive their hopes of advancing in the World Cup warm-up tournament.
Brazilian players are hoping the Mexicans come out attacking to try for victory at the Arena Castelao, opening up spaces for Brazil to counterattack and move closer to securing a spot in the next round.
“I’m sure that Mexico will have to go for the victory and it will definitely be good for us,” Brazil striker Hulk said Tuesday. “We know that they are a team with a lot of quality, but hopefully we can take advantage that they are in a more difficult situation.”
Another defeat will virtually eliminate the Mexicans from the eight-team tournament of continental champions. Mexico will play Japan in its final match in Group A.
“No matter which team we play, we will always try to win,” Mexico coach Jose Manuel de la Torre said. “We know it’s going to be hard, but we will always be prepared.”
Brazil, meanwhile, can virtually secure a spot in the semifinals if they win their second straight match in the World Cup warm-up competition. Brazil’s final match is against Italy. “It’s our obligation to win this match because we know it would make it easier for us to advance,” Brazil defender David luiz said. “Everybody knows that the final group match against Italy will be more difficult because it’s a team with four world titles and with a lot of experienced players. That means that this match against Mexico is really important.”
The Brazilians acknowledge that it won’t be an easy task getting past a Mexican team which has done well against Brazil recently.Mexico have won seven of the last 14 matches against the five-time world champions, including two of the last three.
The last match was an especially disappointing loss at the london Olympics final last year, when Brazil was trying to win their first gold medal in football. “This shows that Mexico has the ability to do it,” De la Torre said. “They players know that they can do it and this is the right stage to do it again.”
Eight Mexicans from this Confederations Cup squad were in that Olympic team, including Giovani dos Santos. Six Brazilians are back with the Selecao, including Neymar, Oscar, Thiago Silva and Hulk.
Japan to play Italy RECIFE: Alberto Zaccheroni’s first foray into international football culminated in a resounding success, and his second big tournament hinges on a meeting with his home country.
Zaccheroni, a 60-year-old tactical expert from Italy who has coached several top Serie A clubs, qualified Japan for Confederations Cup by leading the team to Asian Cup title in 2011.
But the Japanese lost to Brazil 3-0 on Saturday in the opening match of this year’s World Cup warm-up tournament, putting their chances of reaching the semifinals in early danger.