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Austria-Brazil Preview: Selecao looking for sixth win in a row

SoccerNews in General Soccer News 17 Nov 2014

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It is Brazil’s defence – and not their much-vaunted attack – that has attracted the plaudits ahead of Tuesday’s friendly in Austria.

Their performances have been steadily improving since Dunga took over from Luiz Felipe Scolari after their ill-fated World Cup campaign on home soil.

Five wins from as many matches under Dunga represents an excellent return, as Brazil continue to prepare for next year’s Copa America and, while they have scored 12 goals in those triumphs, they have conceded none.

Defence, so often Brazil’s Achilles heel, has looked solid and stable and gave them the foundation to win 4-0 in Turkey on Wednesday.

Newly-appointed captain Neymar scored twice while Willian also netted, but afterwards all anyone – Dunga, Neymar and Fernandinho included – in the Brazilian camp wanted to talk about was their defence.

Brazil’s response to their embarrassing World Cup exit – a 7-1 semi-final loss to Germany and a 3-0 defeat to Netherlands in the third-place play-off – has been emphatic.

With the Brazilian domestic season in its final stages, Dunga’s squad will again contain only players who ply their trade abroad.

Austria may be ranked 29th in the world – 23 places below Brazil – but they did not feature at this year’s World Cup.

They are on an unbeaten run of nine matches, though, and top Group G of Euro 2016 qualifying after a 1-0 win over Russia on Saturday.

Rubin Okotie scored the only goal in the 73rd minute – the second match in a row
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he has netted the winner for Austria.

Coach Marcel Koller is likely to use the friendly as a chance to assess fringe members of his squad but he would dearly love to lead Austria to their first win against Brazil.

The two sides have met eight times – including twice at the World Cup – with Brazil winning five and drawing the other three.

The most recent meeting between the two sides came in a 1988 friendly, with Brazil winning 2-0.

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