Brazilian national team manager Luiz Felipe Scolari choose to remain upbeat after the 1-1 draw with Russia in a friendly match that left him searching for his first win as the Brazil manager after three matches.
This is his second spell at the helm of the Brazilian national team, but he is finding it harder to deal with the problems this time around. In his first spell at the manager, Scolari managed to guide Brazil to World Cup success in Japan. Brazil came into the encounter on the back of a defeat against England and a draw against Brazil in the previous matches.
The team looked uninspiring throughout the match, and they went behind in the second half following a goal from Faizulin. However, the 90th minute equaliser from the former Lyon striker, Fred, helped salvage some pride for the South American nation. The result has meant that the pressure is now truly on the manager Scolari. However, he choose to remain positive after the match by saying that the team was very well organised. The Santos striker Neymar once again flattered to deceive in front of more than 40,000 people.
The much-hyped 21-year-old has not been at his best in recent international matches. "I think that from the game against Italy (which they drew 2-2 last Thursday) to this game we kept the same level, but we were playing against a team that were well organised. Of the 54 countries trying to qualify for the World Cup, Russia are the only one to have not conceded. They kept the ball well and we maybe let that goal in because the team marked high up the pitch and closed the gaps so much more," said Scolari. This result means that Brazil have managed just one win in the last five matches.
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