Not Many Goals at World Cup, Predicts Scolari

Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari believes goals will be in short supply at next month's World Cup finals in Germany as teams prefer to defend rather than attack in numbers.

"Attack with six players and defend with eight when you lose the ball. That is football at the moment," Scolari said in an interview with Kicker magazine. "For that reason I do not think this World Cup will be a goals fest. There will not be as many goals as at previous World Cups."

At the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea the 64 matches produced 161 goals at a ratio of 2.5 goals per game.

The 57-year-old Scolari, who led Brazil to World Cup glory four years ago, guides Portugal at the finals and believes his side have improved since Euro 2004 when they reached the final as hosts.

"I think our team are better than at Euro 2004," Scolari said. "We had to go through qualifying this time and that was an advantage as we coped with the pressure. "I would say that we are one of the best eight teams in the world at the moment."

Portugal are pooled with Mexico, Iran and Angola in World Cup Group D with their first match against debutants Angola in Cologne on June 11.