Rousseff calls on Brazilians to unite behind national team

Brasilia (Brazil), July 2 (IANS) Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff Tuesday called on Brazilians to unite in support of the national team.

"It's time to unite around our national team," she posted on her Twitter account, as Brazil prepare for their Friday quarterfinal match against Colombia at Fortaleza's Castelao Arena, reports Xinhua.

With three days to go before the game, Rousseff affirmed her confidence in the players and its coaching team, headed by Luiz Felipe Scolari.

"I'm taking this opportunity to underscore my confidence in Felipao, Parreira and all the Brazilian national team players," she said.

Rousseff quoted Brazil's famous writer and sports journalist Nelson Rodrigues, who once said the national team was "the country in football cleats."

Last week, the president wished the team luck prior to their match against Chile, which ended in a 1-1 tie, and Brazil won 3-2 in a penalty shootout.