Sao Paulo: Luiz Felipe Scolari is unlikely to change Brazil’s starting lineup for the World Cup opener despite struggling in their final warm-up matches.
Scolari said adjustments need to be made to the squad after lackluster performances in the warm-up matches, but he will probably keep the same lineup for the inaugural match against Croatia on Thursday in Sao Paulo. Brazil didn’t play well in a 4-0 win over Panama on Tuesday and also struggled in the 1-0 victory over Serbia on Friday, when the crowd loudly jeered the team.
The coach was annoyed when asked about the poor performance of Chelsea playmaker Oscar and rejected bowing to public pressure, saying Scolari is “the one who decides who is going to play.” Scolari has constantly said he will start the tournament with the same line-up that won last year’s Confederations Cup, but questions were raised recently after a few disappointing training sessions and struggles against Panama and Serbia.
After being asked about a possible change in the team because of Oscar’s lackluster performance against Serbia, Scolari abruptly interrupted a reporter to say he wasn’t going to be affected by the opinions of outsiders.
