Brazil to treat Holland game 'like a final'

Posted Wednesday, June 30, 2010 by theguardian.com

Brazil to treat Holland game 'like a final'
The Brazil coach, Dunga, has described Holland as 'solid' with 'technical ability'.

Brazil know that the World Cup will become more serious against Holland on Friday, after the five-times champions secured their quarter-finals place with yesterday's 3-0 win over Chile.

"We know the Netherlands are a very difficult team to play against," the Brazil coach, Dunga, said. "Their football is actually very similar to South American football. They don't try to stay defending and rely on long balls. They have technical quality and we will need to be ready for that. It's a solid team."

The Brazil captain, Lúcio, added: "Now it's a match between two traditional teams with great players. Now the matches will get harder and harder."

Holland have won all their matches so far at this World Cup – against Denmark, Japan, Cameroon and Slovakia– and are unbeaten in 23 matches. "It's a world football classic," said Robinho, who scored his first World Cup goal against Chile. "It's going to be like a final."

The quarter-final will be the third World Cup match between Brazil and Holland with the South American side having won two of them. Holland emerged victorious from a second-round match in 1974 in Germany, but the Brazilians beat the Dutch 3-2 in the 1994 quarter-finals in the United States and succeeded in a penalty shoot-out in the 1998 semi-finals in France.

Dunga knows from experience the difficulties of facing the Dutch. The former defensive midfielder played in the 1994 quarter-finals and in the 1998 semi-finals. "We know the Netherlands has a tradition of playing well in the World Cup," the coach said.

The Brazilians are hoping the Dutch continue to attack in the same way they have so far in the tournament when the two sides meet in Port Elizabeth, allowing space for Brazil's attackers. "I hope they keep playing forward," Luís Fabiano said. "If they do that, they will run some risks and that's going to be good for us."

Brazil may be without key players for Friday's match. The midfielder Elano and Felipe Melo failed to recover from ankle injuries in time to face the Chileans and remain doubtful. Ramires, who replaced Melo on Monday, received his second yellow card and will not be available.