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July 27, 2008
Football: Olympics harder than World Cup, says Brazil's Dunga
SECURING a first Olympic title will be a tougher job than the World Cup, Brazil's coach Dunga said on Sunday, and insisted his young team was up to the task of football gold at the Beijing Games.
While Brazil have held the World Cup five times they have never won at the Olympics, but Dunga said his squad - including Ronaldinho - were coping well with the weight of expectation.
'To win (an) Olympic medal is a bit harder because we don't have much time to prepare', he told reporters in Singapore ahead of an exhibition match here Monday.
'With respect to the World Cup, we have four years to prepare for it... in Olympic Games normally we have 15 days and players are coming back from holidays, from other competition', he said.
The Brazilian team, including two-time World Player of the Year Ronaldinho and 18-year-old sensation Alexandre Pato, have been going through drills and tactics since arriving last week.
'There is a lot of pressure in winning... most of these players, although they are young, they are already playing in big teams in Europe and also in Brazil so they are coping quite well', said Dunga.
He and his team arrived in Singapore last week as part of preparations for the Olympics in August. After Monday's game against Singapore, they will head to Hanoi for a friendly against Vietnam's national side on August 1.
Brazil won the Olympic silver medal in the 1984 and 1988 Games, and bronze in 1996.
The Olympic tournament begins on August 6, with the final on August 23.
Football: Olympics harder than World Cup, says Brazil's Dunga
SECURING a first Olympic title will be a tougher job than the World Cup, Brazil's coach Dunga said on Sunday, and insisted his young team was up to the task of football gold at the Beijing Games.
While Brazil have held the World Cup five times they have never won at the Olympics, but Dunga said his squad - including Ronaldinho - were coping well with the weight of expectation.
'To win (an) Olympic medal is a bit harder because we don't have much time to prepare', he told reporters in Singapore ahead of an exhibition match here Monday.
'With respect to the World Cup, we have four years to prepare for it... in Olympic Games normally we have 15 days and players are coming back from holidays, from other competition', he said.
The Brazilian team, including two-time World Player of the Year Ronaldinho and 18-year-old sensation Alexandre Pato, have been going through drills and tactics since arriving last week.
'There is a lot of pressure in winning... most of these players, although they are young, they are already playing in big teams in Europe and also in Brazil so they are coping quite well', said Dunga.
He and his team arrived in Singapore last week as part of preparations for the Olympics in August. After Monday's game against Singapore, they will head to Hanoi for a friendly against Vietnam's national side on August 1.
Brazil won the Olympic silver medal in the 1984 and 1988 Games, and bronze in 1996.
The Olympic tournament begins on August 6, with the final on August 23.