SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil expect to win every tournament they play, especially at home, but they go into next week’s Copa America without their talisman Neymar and lacking some of the sparkle that has long been their stock in trade. Apart from home advantage, they are fortunate to be in one of the easier groups with Bolivia, Peru and Venezuela. The big question will be how they cope without Neymar but his absence could be a blessing in disguise. Brazil have won the Copa America eight times but not since 2007 and that trophy drought – compounded by a failure to win the World Cup since 2002 - is a long one by Brazilian standards. But the coach was his usual inscrutable self when asked what he hoped to achieve over the next three weeks.

Source: The Star June 11, 2019 01:52 UTC