'Dopey' Dunga on the defensive

Dunga was nicknamed after the dwarf in "Snow White" because his uncle didn't think he would grow very tall. But his moody tenure as Brazil's coach sometimes makes him more like the less-friendly Disney character.

Dunga arrived at the World Cup on the defensive, bristling at questions thrown at him by the hundreds of journalists in Brazil's training camp in South Africa.

"There are 300 journalists here hoping that we lose just so they can say later that they were right," Dunga said in one of his first press conferences in South Africa.

A former defensive midfielder known for his toughness on and off the field, Dunga was heavily criticized by fans and local media when he was appointed to lead Brazil after the 2006 World Cup despite never coaching at any level before. Many said Dunga was just a temporary choice until a better coach could be signed.

The criticism continued even after victories, and the straightforward Dunga never tried to hide that he was not happy with it.

"Don't think I have anything against journalists," he said.

"Anyone can ask whatever they want, but they have to be prepared because I have the right to say whatever I want too. It's my temper, for good or for bad. I will say what I think."

Many were concerned at Dunga's defensive emphasis, even as the team achieved significant results, including the 2007 Copa America and the 2009 Confederations Cup titles.

Those achievements gained won over many supporters in Brazil, but there were still some who continued to doubt him, especially after he omitted from his World Cup squad stars such as Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Adriano.

"I have to deal with that, even when we win," Dunga said. "If it isn't about the players I pick, it's because I don't know how to speak Portuguese correctly. And if it isn't that, then it's about my clothing or something else. Sometimes they even attack my family to see if they can get to me, but it's going to be hard."

Dunga insists he is not concerned with his image in Brazil.

"I can't worry about what people are talking about," Dunga said.

"I have to focus on my work. Everything I'm doing it is for the good of the national team. What matters is if I can make a decision and be able to sleep with it at night."

Dunga's image problems emerged in his playing days.

His name has been always associated with the lackluster Brazilian team that fell to Argentina in the round of 16 of the 1990 World Cup in Italy - a period which became negatively known as the "Dunga Era."

And even after Dunga captained Brazil to the 1994 World Cup title in the United States, many complained that that team was defensive and boring. Dunga and the team led by coach Carlos Alberto Parreira were constantly criticized, and when Dunga lifted the trophy, he let out an expletive that marked his career as much as his performances on the field.

"What Dunga has achieved with the national team cannot be questioned," veteran Brazil midfielder Gilberto Silva said Wednesday. "We have his trust and we are behind him."

Dunga played in three World Cups with Brazil and helped the team win the 1989 and 1997 Copa Americas, as well as the 1997 Confederations Cup. He played for Brazilian club Internacional and later with Fiorentina and Stuttgart.

Dunga's personification of hard work was one of the main reasons the Brazilian football confederation hired him instead of other already established coaches.

The 46-year-old Dunga knows, however, that no matter what he has achieved with Brazil so far, a failure at the World Cup will be blamed upon him.

"We understand that the only thing that counts now is the World Cup," Dunga said.