Scolari pleased with team despite drawing with Mexico

Fortaleza (Brazil), June 18 (IANS) Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari was pleased with the team's performance although the Selecao failed to score in front of a well-organised Mexican team here.

"In my opinion the team was at least 10% better than what we played against Croatia. So the team is getting better and better," the 65-year-old coach said after his team was held to a scoreless draw by Mexico in their second World Cup Group A match Tuesday, reports CMC.

"We are improving and we still have a way to go and we can play good quality football. Although we did not reach the result we expected, I was really happy with what I saw on the pitch," Scolari said.

"We have three or four very good opportunities today but they had a very good keeper," Scolari added, referring to Mexico's 28-year-old goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa who produced a series of impressive saves in the match, including two promising opportunities from Brazil's star striker Neymar.

However, Scolari did not think the 22-year-old Barcerona player should be blamed and he also denied the claim that the whole team was relying too much on Neymar.

"Well, Neymar cannot win or lose on his own. He is part of the group and in the group he has the potential which is higher sometimes than the others," Scolari said.

"He can win or lose with the group. We will keep on working so that with or without Neymar we will be able to win."

The 27-year-old Zenit St. Petersburg striker Hulk was on the bench Tuesday and Scolari revealed it was Hulk himself who decided to rest in order to avoid any injury risk.

"He could have played today and he decided to stay on the bench," Scolari said.

"So we decided to start with Ramires. We will be working with Hulk this week if he feels better, and if he believes the pain he is feeling is normal for any player, because exam showed he is OK. He can be in the pitch against Cameroon."