Brazil coach under fire for defeats to football rivals

By Diana Renee Aug 11, 2011, 18:59 GMT

Rio de Janeiro - Brazil coach Mano Menezes was under fire Thursday, after losing to Germany in his third defeat to a fellow footballing giant.

A year after making his debut as national team coach with a 2-0 win over the United States in a friendly, doubts were emerging in Brazilian sports media as to Menezes' ability to build a strong team that can seek the football-crazy nation's longed-for sixth World Cup title in 2014, at home.

'Yet again, Mano?' the sports daily Lance asked Thursday, in a clear sign of impatience regarding Menezes' performances.

Brazil lost 3-2 to Germany Wednesday. Before that, they had lost 1-0 to both France and Argentina, and they drew 0-0 with the Netherlands, although the four were all friendly matches.

The South American giants also had one of the worst runs in their history at the Copa America in July, when they lost to Paraguay in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals. Curiously enough, Brazil failed to score in even a single one of their four attempts from the spot.

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) insists that Menezes is not about to be fired, and that the team will not change its strategy of playing strong rivals en route to its home World Cup.

'I prefer reality, even if it is tough, to the illusion of wins with no consistency which may reflect in even bigger losses in the future. Work will continue with the full trust of the CBF,' federation president Ricardo Teixeira said in a statement.

The coach himself admitted following the defeat to Germany that he is yet to correct Brazil's structural flaws, particularly defensive mistakes and a lack of precision in shooting.

'I think we will have to change a few things. From the first match there have been recurring problems. We waste chances on goal, that is, we create the chances but do not convert them. Besides, in every match there have been defensive mistakes and we let in goals because of this,' Menezes said in the post-match press conference.

Lance analyst Benjamin Back noted that pressure on the coach will keep growing, and that time is running out for him to show that his efforts to reshape the team are actually working.

Menezes knows that he needs results, and that he needs them fast, as Brazilians grow impatient. For this reason, he has changes in mind for upcoming matches.

Experts believe there are good chances of a national team return for veteran striker Ronaldinho, who is again shining at Flamengo and is currently the top scorer in the Brazilian Championship.

Menezes is also looking for more up-and-coming players, and in fact he left Stuttgart directly for Colombia, where he is to watch the end of the Under-20 World Cup. There, Brazil reached the quarterfinals Wednesday, with a 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia.

According to the CBF schedule, the senior side is to play again on September 14 and 28, against Argentina, with a squad that is fully made up of players active in the Brazilian tournament. However, according to expert Ancelmo Goes, of the daily O Globo, there will be a friendly against Egypt on September 6 in Cairo before that.