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Updated Thursday, March 11, 2010 9:46 am TWN, By Marco Sibaja, AP

Brazil president plans for World Cup final

BRASILIA, Brazil -- President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is he's so confident of Brazil's chances in the World Cup that he is already planning to be at the final on July 11.

“I'm so optimistic that when I was in Mexico with President (Felipe) Calderon and he asked me if I was going to the opening game of the World Cup, I said I'm not going to the opener — I'm going to the final,” Silva said in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Of course, Silva said he would have to attend the final match in Johannesburg anyway — at least for ceremonial reasons — since Brazil will be the host country for the 2014 World Cup.

Silva said he is a big fan of Brazil coach Dunga, who has emphasized team play and defense for the five-time World Cup champions. Silva said he also supports Dunga's decision to leave AC Milan star Ronaldinho off the team in the run-up to the World Cup.

“If there's one thing I like about Dunga, it's that he's called up the players who are in the best form,” Silva said. “He also instills confidence. It's not enough that a player is good, you also have to know that a player will follow the tactics the manager wants to use.”

He said Dunga also gave the team “moral authority.”

“It's important to recall that in 1990 (in Italy's World Cup), Dunga was blamed for the failure of the Brazil team,” he said. “In 1994 he came back as the captain and won the World Cup.”

Asked why Dunga was receiving criticism despite Brazil having qualified as No. 1 from South America for the World Cup, Silva replied: “Every one of us in Brazil is a coach. Brazil has 190 million coaches. Everyone is convinced they know everything about football.”

He said during the June 11-July 11 World Cup he would make a five-nation tour of Africa, ending in South Africa for the deciding game.

He also continued to talk up Brazil as host of the next World Cup.

“Brazil is preparing to organize the 2014 World Cup, the most incredible you have ever seen,” he said.

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