Brazil starts preparing for Confed Cup at home

SAO PAULO (AP) — It feels like the Confederations Cup is already starting for two-time defending champion Brazil.

The team reported to its training base in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday and began preparing for the World Cup warm-up tournament it will host from June 15-30. The players underwent physicals and had a light training session in the afternoon.

Brazil will stay in the city for a friendly against England at the new Maracana stadium on Sunday, and then move to a base in Goiania, near the capital Brasilia, where Brazil will open the Confederations Cup on June 15.

Before that, Brazil will play France on June 9 in Porto Alegre.

Led by Neymar, Oscar, Lucas and Thiago Silva, Brazil will be looking for a third straight Confederations Cup title, and fourth overall.

However, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari was missing a few players in the first training session. Bayern Munich's Dante and Luiz Gustavo have not yet been released by the German club, and players from Brazilian teams Fluminense and Atletico Mineiro will only report after Copa Libertadores matches this week.

The Brazilian federation said Dante and Luiz Gustavo arrive by Saturday.

Brazil's assistant coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said the Bayern Munich players must report 14 days before the opener, as required by FIFA. But that's when Bayern plays the final of the German Cup against Stuttgart, and the club wants them in the team for that match.

"We already talked to FIFA and just now we talked to Dante, who said he wants to come and is pressuring the club to release him," Parreira said. "The players must be here, that's the requirement from FIFA."

The other missing players are expected to join the rest of the group by Friday. Goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri, defender Jean and striker Fred are with Fluminense for Wednesday's match against Paraguay's Olympia in the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores. Atletico Mineiro defender Rever and forward Bernard will face Mexico's Tijuana on Thursday.

Neymar will be allowed to fly to Spain next week — after the England game — to be officially introduced to Barcelona fans and the Spanish media. But he must return no later than Tuesday to continue his preparations with the national team.

"We are not worried about that, it won't be a problem," Parreira said. "Neymar is a very special player we've all said that already. His desire to play will always be there."

Atletico de Madrid defender Filipe Luis and Botafogo goalkeeper Jefferson also will be briefly released from the team in the coming days because their wives are expected to give birth soon.

Brazil lost 2-1 to England earlier this year in Scolari's first match since his return to the national team in December and the 2002 World Cup champion won only one of the other four matches after that, against Bolivia.

It comes to the tournament for continental champions under pressure to show that Brazil has improved and will be able to contend for the World Cup title at home next year.

Also Wednesday, the Brazilian army conducted a series of security drills at the Maracana Stadium as part of its preparations for the Confederations Cup. The renovated venue will host the tournament's final.

Tickets sold for the tournament began being distributed to fans on Wednesday, and there were many complaints across the country as it took up two hours to collect them even though purchasers were allowed to make appointments to pick them up.