Scolari knows Chile will punish any slip

Given the sound and fury that awaits them, it was a bizarre start to Brazil’s press conference yesterday.

A question about their star player winning an appeal to have the local edition of Playboy removed from stands as it claimed to feature his ex-girlfriend under a headline of ‘The brunette who charmed Neymar’ left Felipe Scolari looking baffled by it all.

“I’m a bit too old for that, you’ll have to ask Thiago [Silva, sitting beside him]. I don’t even know what you are talking about. Collecting Playboy? Say it again.”

But of course they all know how serious this really is because it’s everywhere.

A full day before kick-off, hundreds wandered about outside the giant bowl of the Mineirao while on Thursday night, the long and winding road from the airport to the city centre was a moving experience.

With the team due to make their journey to their hotel, the middle of the motorway was filled with people as they came down from the favelas to see their heroes. That those fans have been priced out of the stadiums seems irrelevant as the side still unites a greatly divided society in a phenomenal way. “Well we just came in now to look at the pitch and what we were saying was that some things affect our day-to-day life even if we experienced them before,” noted Scolari.

“I said to Thiago, ‘You already played a World Cup’. He said ‘Yes, but professor, it’s normal for us to feel we have something that makes us anxious, especially when we start the knockout phase where we can’t make a mistake, can’t lose’.

“We become more involved in a different manner, slightly more afraid or nervous. It’s because it’s a World Cup and we’ve a great chance to get to the final. So there are many psychological aspects to getting ready. No one can be at ease.”

Certainly not when you consider the opposition. Back in December, after the World Cup draw was made, Scolari did an interview with a magazine here and was asked who he would like to avoid in the second round. Spain and the Netherlands were obvious answers but his choice was a surprising one that’s now come to fruition.

“Well there’s a new dynamic and better performances since Jorge Sampaoli took over Chile,” said Scolari of his counterpart.

“I think the players have adapted perfectly to his scheme.”

But if Brazil’s performances have looked shaky throughout, whether it be the defence, a massive over-reliance on Neymar (“He doesn’t play to be the best in the world, he plays for Brazil and by Brazil because he wishes to be the world champion,” said Scolari) or the lack of support he’s gotten from Oscar, Hulk and Fred, then there’s been nothing but forceful confidence in Chile’s words. Alexis Sanchez has said straight out that the side expected to win and that theme continued here.

“I think it’ll be the most important match of my career and we want to change everything and have more positive memories for my country,” said defender Eugenio Melo.

“We have to forget our history because we had negative results too often. I live here so I heard many things but I think with our performances so far we’ve earned the respect of many people. Our team is very motivated, and we are convinced we can win.

“It’s a very intense moment but we think we’ve an opportunity to change a history that’s been very negative for us, to do something very special.”

What they must overcome first though, is the psychological issue of playing Brazil.

Their manager Sampaoli said that “history is history” before adding that: “Brazil are a very direct team, very fast at recovering the ball, quick transition, very good midfielders if not the best in the world, Neymar who is playing very well so we’ve to take all this into account. But the past doesn’t matter.”

However, playing a near neighbour that has towered over them will either break them or make the remarkable happen.

“Brazil already has a great history,” concluded Melo, with the sort of belief they’ve exuded right through this build-up. “They just have to keep theirs, but now we have to write a new one for us.”