体坛英语新闻：Brazilian national soccer team ends year on a high note

RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian national soccer team officially closed out the 2009 season with a 2-0 win over Oman in Tuesday's friendly.

    The team had a 14-2-1 record in competition this year, holding to an impressive .862 winning percentage.

    Brazil is already hailed as the early favorite to win the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. With such pressure, Brazil head coach Dunga warned that the team must learn how to cope with their favoritism.

    "We have to learn to live with our favoritism. Brazil is always the favorite. There may be a time gap between higher amounts of favoritism, but Brazil will always be among the favorites to win any given competition. However, just being the favorite doesn't mean that you are destined to win. We have to prove our favoritism," said Dunga.

    Becoming head coach since 2006, Dunga has coached 52 games, losing only five times. He also led the team to win the American Cup, the Confederations Cup and was able to qualify for the 2010 World Cup with three rounds remaining in the South American qualifiers.

    The coach and former captain of the national team's third World Cup title has led the team to their highest winning percentage since 1999. Certainly, the Brazilian men's national team will enter the 2010 season with high expectations.