RIO DE JANEIRO (NNN-Xinhua) -- Brazilians throughout the country were glued to their television screens on Saturday night to watch the national team in the finals of the under-20 FIFA World Cup.Thrilled with the team's 3-2 win in extra time against Portugal, Brazilians celebrated the national team's fifth World Cup title.
Bars, restaurants, hotels and homes were tuned in to the finals of the under-20 men's World Cup in all four corners of Brazil.
Internacional's own Oscar was responsible for scoring all three of Brazil's goals, leading to his team's tournament title. The tournament, which took place in Colombia, received the largest public audience in under-20 World Cup history, attracting more than 1.3 million people.
FIFA president Joseph Blatter was on hand to watch the match and congratulate the winners of the tournament. Brazil's national team head coach, Mano Menezes, was also in attendance to observe the players and scout them for the 2014 World Cup on Brazilian soil.
Brazil's Henrique was selected as the tournament's most valuable player, causing many Brazilians to believe that he will be a valuable asset in the 2014 World Cup. Oscar's performance in the finals also caught the attention of the country.
"Both Henrique and Oscar should definitely be called to the national team as soon as possible in order to gain more practice and prepare for the 2014 World Cup. The players appeared calm and secure, something that the current national team lacks. In my opinion, the under-20 national team is playing better than the current Brazilian national team," described soccer fan Moises Carvalho.
"Head coach Ney Franco has been a perfect fit at the head of the under-20 national team. Personally appointed by Mano Menezes, I hope they can openly talk and give each other advice as to who to play and who not to play. There is a lot of pressure to win the 2014 World Cup since it is here in Brazil. I hope we will be able to repeat the feat of the under-20 team and win our sixth World Cup title," said fan Paulo Neves.
Mano Menezes will lead Brazil into its next friendly match on September 5 when it will play against Ghana. The national team recently lost to Germany 3-2. After the loss, the Brazilian Confederation of Soccer (CBF) president, Ricardo Teixira, decided to cancel two already scheduled matches against Italy and Spain, claiming that the national team needs to regroup and focus before encountering any strong opponents.
Menezes recently called veteran midfielder Ronaldinho Gaucho to the national team for the friendly against Ghana. The player celebrated the news and was praised by his teammates at Flamengo as well as the public throughout Brazil.
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