Neymar strikes but Brazil fail to win over media

RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept 7 (AFP): With Neymar back in their ranks and scoring the only goal, Brazil gave Dunga a winning start in his second spell in charge-although a 1-0 friendly success over Colombia left media unimpressed.
Fielding seven of the side whipped 7-1 by Germany in their World Cup semi-final almost two months ago, Dunga could point to a win and a clean sheet as positives to take from Friday's encounter in Miami, but observers back home were critical.
There was "little samba or salsa," with the match only remarkable for "the same old song-the talent of Neymar," complained sports daily Lance.
Rio daily O Dia was even blunter in its assessment after a win over opponents reduced to ten men following a red card for Juan Cuadrado just after the interval for fouling, inevitably, Neymar.
"Brazil remain the same-they only have Neymar," grumbled the paper, though it could not fault the team's effort and pinpointed some periods of "good football."
Globo joined the chorus of underwhelmed observers.
"Little has changed -- (they) suffered" to drag out the win.
"Starting a new era under Dunga (sacked after a World Cup quarter-final loss against Holland in 2010 before replacing Luiz Felipe Scolari six weeks ago) there were few on-field improvements as Brazil's game plan still lacks alternatives" to Neymar, Globo complained.
Neymar's absence through injury against Germany derailed the side not just in terms of creativity but also psychologically, the hosts falling apart in that game as they suffered their worst ever World Cup loss.