Brazil come into the Copa America desperate to regain some international credibility a year after they failed so miserably in their home World Cup. They were hammered 7-1 by Germany in the semi-final and the defeat confirmed the once great Brazil were no longer a team to be feared, and had instead become just another sometimes good, sometimes bad, footballing nation.
They will be buoyed by recent results, however, with eight wins out of eight since Dunga took over following that semi-final drubbing.
Photo gallery: 12 Copa America players to watch
Moreover, the famously aggressive coach, who is in his second stint as manager, has an enviable track record in the tournament, winning it in 2007 with an understrength side in Venezuela. This time around his side will be missing some key players with Real Madrid left-back Marcelo and first-choice midfielder Luiz Gustavo withdrawing due to injury. Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves and Chelsea midfielder Oscar are also missing.
Star man Neymar arrives having played in the Uefa Champions League final only a week before Brazil’s first game.
Dunga’s squad features four uncapped players: full-backs Geferson and Fabinho and goalkeepers Marcelo Grohe and Neto, and he believes the Copa America is important because it will help him fine-tune his side for the World Cup qualifiers later this year.
Brazil have won four of the last six Copas, dating back to 1997, and progress from a group containing Peru, Colombia and Venezuela should be straight forward.
Previous appearancesBest performanceDrawFifa world rankingCoach: Dunga
Dunga has silenced those critics who saw his appointment just weeks after Brazil were humiliated 7-1 by Germany in the World Cup fiasco as a step back in time.
He had previously coached Brazil to a disappointing quarter-final exit against the Netherlands at the 2010 World Cup and was widely disliked for his belligerent attitude on and off the field.
However, he has introduced a degree of steel to a side that lacked backbone and they have won all eight of his matches in charge, including recent games against Chile and France, scoring 18 goals and conceding just two.
The coach has a perfect record in the Copa America. In 2007, he led an unfanciedBrazil team to the final against favourites Argentina and blew them away, their 3-0 win over a side containing Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano, Juan Roman Riquelme and Carlos Tevez was one of the highlights of his managerial career.
Key player: Neymar
Brazil will once again rely heavily on their Barcelona striker, who, even at just 23 years old, is the stand-out performer in what can sometimes be a unBrazilian team loaded with journeymen and lacking the skillful ball players of old.
Neymar has scored eight of Brazil’s last 18 goals and is the fulcrum of all that is creative at national level. Mature beyond his years, he has won 62 caps in record time and happily assumes the responsibility heaped on his young shoulders.
Squad
GoalkeepersDefendersMidfielders Fred (Shakhtar Donetsk), Elias (Corinthians), Casemiro (Porto), Fernandinho (Manchester City), Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool), Willian (Chelsea)
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