Brazil National Team Soccer Coach Says All Signs Point To World Cup Victory

Brazil's soccer coach Luiz Felipe Scolari gives a news conference at a Team Workshop for the 2014 World Cup at the Costao do Santinho hotel in Florianopolis, Brazil, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

FLORIANOPOLIS, Brazil (AP) – Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is optimistic about Brazil's chances to win the World Cup title at home.

He believes Brazil will lift the trophy at the Maracana Stadium in a few months.

"We are playing at home, we have the fans on our side and a team which is competitive and has a lot of quality," Scolari said. "We have everything that allows us to be the best team. That's why I fully trust that we can make it to the final and be the champion."

Scolari commented during a FIFA-run workshop with representatives of the 32 teams that will play in the World Cup. More than 20 coaches attended the event to discuss the organizational aspects of the tournament, which starts in June.

Fans jeered Brazil before the Confederations Cup last year, but were fully behind the squad once the tournament began. Brazil played well on the field and won the title with five straight victories. That included a 3-0 win against defending World Cup champion Spain in the final at the same stadium that will host the World Cup final in July.

Scolari said he was not nearly as optimistic before the 2002 tournament, which Brazil eventually won despite fielding a team few believed could be successful.

"We didn't have a squad ready at the time, so I said that if we finished among the final four teams it would have had to be considered a good result," Scolari said.

"Now I'm playing in Brazil, in front of my people, I have the 12th player (fans) on my side. If I can't say that we are good, that we have a lot of quality and that we have good players, then there's nothing I should be doing here."

Scolari returned to guide Brazil late in 2012 to replace coach Mano Menezes.

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