Soccer: Brazil expect All Whites to be fired-up

WEGGIS, Switzerland - World champions Brazil expect fired-up opponents when they meet New Zealand in their final match before the World Cup on Monday morning NZ time.

Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said that every side played above themselves when they met his team and he expected the All Whites team to do likewise.

"For the last three-and-a-half years, since I've been coach of Brazil, it's been the same," said Parreira, whose side face Croatia, Australia and Japan in their World Cup group.

"Everyone wants to beat the five-times champions of the world. For them, it's going to be the game of their lives, the game of the century.

"Their style is very similar to Australia, we expect a physical match and we have to play with effort, determination but no violence."

Brazil have met New Zealand, who are 118th in the FIFA rankings, twice in the past, beating them 4-0 at the 1982 World Cup and 2-0 at the 1999 Confederations Cup.

Asked what he knew about New Zealand, midfielder Gilberto Silva said: "Nothing, absolutely nothing, but I know its an important preparation for us."

Parreira said Brazil's two-week training period in the lakeside resort of Weggis had got the players back to shape after a tiring European season.

"I think it was very clear in Friday's training session that the players are in much better shape," he said.

"Some of the players were exhausted when they got here after the European season and I think we've managed to help them recover.

"We've got the team in good health and I think we're on the way up."

"(Sunday's game) will help us organise the team better, show we're on the right path and give them some match practice, so they can get to know each other again."

"We're thinking big, we want to play seven games at the World Cup and reach the final and we need to have our players in shape for this because it's going to be very intense."

He praised FIFA for giving the national teams nearly one month to prepare for the tournament in Germany.

"I think all the teams have made good use of the period that FIFA have created. All the teams have benefitted, not just Brazil."

- REUTERS