Scolari puts gloss on Brazil's plight

The new coach of Brazil, Phil Scolari, was upbeat yesterday even though the four-times World Cup winners might fail to qualify for the finals of the competition for the first time.

After picking up only one point from the last nine, they have five games left to secure their place for next year's finals. And Sunday night's 1-0 loss to Uruguay in Montevideo allowed the hosts to move level on points with Brazil in fourth place.

Only four teams qualify automatically. The team who finish fifth go into a play-off against the winners in Oceania, Australia.

"Brazil are going through a shaky period," said Scolari, brought in as coach after a lacklustre performance at the Confederations Cup cost Emerson Leão his job. "When I took the job, I knew I was running the risk of being the first coach to leave Brazil out of a World Cup, but I am not afraid of that. Don't worry, that is not going to happen now. Our participation in the World Cup doesn't depend on other people's results.

"The mathematicians say we need 30 points to get into the top four places and, of the 15 possible points, we have nine at home. Thus, the outlook is not great but neither is it too bad."

The most telling contribution for Uruguay came from the embattled Internazionale player Alvaro Recoba, recently banned from Italian football for a year as punishment for possessing a fake passport. After a superb run, he was fouled in the area and Federico Magallenes converted from the spot.

"As expected, the whole game turned on one moment, an incredible piece of skill by Recoba who beat four players before getting into the area," Scolari said. "But if Brazil did nothing in this game, then neither did Uruguay. The two teams created few chances. They were playing with nine men behind the ball whenever we were in possession.

"The blame is all mine, not the players. They were not in best physical shape at this point in the season and couldn't produce what they are capable of. They will in the next game."

That next match is against second-placed Paraguay, who won the first tie between the two sides last July. Of the last four games, Brazil count Argentina among their opponents. They also must face Chile who, despite their second-from-bottom standing, may have a psychological edge: they beat Brazil 3-0 last year.