Brazil must maintain focus

Brazil must maintain focus
(Reuters) Monday 15 June 2009
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Brazil playmaker Kaka has said that his side cannot allow themselves to play as poorly as they did in the second half of Monday's 4-3 win over Egypt if they want to retain the FIFA Confederations Cup. Brazil, producing some typically attractive passing moves, led Egypt 3-1 at halftime in their opening Group B match at the Free State Stadium before allowing Egypt to claw back to 3-3.

Kaka scored Brazil's opening goal after five minutes and his stoppage-time penalty saved the blushes of the five-times world champions who have been playing some superb football in their South American FIFA World Cup™ qualifying matches of late. Kaka, who moved from AC Milan to Real Madrid for a fee of around 68 million euros [$94 million] earlier this month, said even experienced, top class internationals like himself had something to learn from a game like that.

"We were doing very well in the first half, but then we tired. We're all suffering from some jet lag, some players have only slept for four or five hours a night since we have been here and that's the reason," he said.

"It was really important to win this match though, and in a competition it's important to win your first game. But we mustn't let that happen again."

Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar, who was beaten twice in a minute, said: "It was like we had a blackout in the second half.

"The concentration went and we allowed them back into the game and as we saw they are a very good passing team.

"They played a bit like we do, but we allowed them to do it and they almost punished us with what would have been a big upset result," he said.
The concentration went and we allowed them back into the game and as we saw they are a very good passing team.
Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar

Mohamed Zidan, who scored two well-taken goals for Egypt, said even though they lost, their performance proved they could recover from a poor start in their final African qualifying group and reach the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

"Obviously for us, as African champions, it is more important to qualify for the World Cup than to win this tournament ,but we have the players who can bring us back to South Africa next year," he said.

"We can take a lot of encouragement from the way we played in the second half."