Brazil chief Dunga keeps counsel on Argentine loss

Brazil coach Dunga preferred Thursday to salute a 3-0 romp over Peru in their World Cup qualifier which left the five-times champions in second spot in the continental group rather than gloat at rivals Argentina being battered 6-1 in Bolivia.

“Argentina have their problems and we ours – but the altitude does very much muddy the waters and we saw as much,” remarked Dunga, reflecting on a round of matches which saw the samba stars move within three points of leaders Paraguay with Chile third a point further back but one clear of Argentina.

The Paraguayans have 24 points from 12 games after their last-gasp draw in Ecuador – who similarly had held Brazil last Sunday, while the latter are on 21 to 20 for Chile and 19 for Argentina.

The top four sides go through automatically and Uruguay, still two points behind Argentina after a draw away to the Chileans on Wednesday, appear destined only for a playoff against a rival from the North, Central American and Caribbean group.

Neither Brazil nor Diego Maradona’s Argentines have really hit their stride to date but Dunga said he was happy to keep oiling the machine in the knowledge that in recent years his nation has often allowed itself some inconsistency in the qualifiers before some fine-tuning at the finals.

“We’re drawing away and winning at home and that’s good. That’s more or less what we’ve been counting on,” he told reporters, dubbing the win over Peru achieved with a double from Sevilla’s Luis Fabiano and another from Fiorentina’s Felipe Melo as “a normal result.”

Dunga noted that the fans had greeted the win without their usual enthusiasm but suggested that “perhaps they would have shown a little more enthusiasm ahd the result been achieved against a tougher opponent.”

Brazil travel to Uruguay for their next match in the first week of June.