Despite failing to win the World Cup in Germany
this year, Brazil's national soccer team remains the number one team according a
list published Friday by the sport's government body FIFA.
FIFA gave Brazil a total of 1,588 points for this year's play, beating the
1,560 scored by Italy's national soccer team, even though the team won the World
Cup, held in June and July in Germany.
"Brazil's four victories and its consistent performance in friendly games
proved better than other teams," FIFA said. Brazil has played 12 international
games, winning 10, drawing one and losing one.
The one game the team lost however was against France in the World Cup,
eliminating the team from the quarter-finals.
Brazil's selectors reacted to the loss with a radical change of strategy:
sacking Carlos Alberto Parreira, their experienced manager, and bringing in a
newcomer Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri, better known as Dunga.
He began his term saying that every player had to earn his place on the team,
even the international superstars like Ronaldo de Lima, better known as
Ronaldinho, twice FIFA player of the year.
