Brazil have prepared dossiers on 16 possible opponents who could stand between them and a sixth World Cup, assistant manager Carlos Alberto Parreira said.
The three other teams in Group A, Croatia, Mexico and Cameroon, have been scouted and analysed for strengths and weaknesses. All four Group B teams – Australia, Chile, the Netherlands and Spain, one of whom could meet Brazil in the second round, have also been scouted by the team’s two main scouts Alexandre Gallo and Roque Junior. Potential quarter-final and semi-final opponents have also been analysed. “Sixteen teams have been totally watched and scouted,” Parreira said as Brazil’s players gathered for training at their base at the Granja Comary, 100 kilometres from Rio and where the team will remain for the duration of the June 12-July 13 tournament. Brazil begin the World Cup against Croatia in Sao Paulo on June 12 and Parreira said he was confident the home side would leave the Maracana a month later with the trophy. “I trust these players,” he said. “We have the most expensive centre-backs in the world. We have a brilliant team. “We are favourites, of course, we are obliged to win, (but) being favourites isn’t enough, we have to be serious and win on the field.”
