Scolari says scars won't heal

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari admitted on Friday that a traumatic past six weeks both on and off the field will mark him for the rest of his life.

"Lots of things have changed and have impacted on my life for better or for worse. In the coming days I will try to get on with my life, that I have left behind a little bit in recent days," Scolari said ahead of Saturday's World Cup third-place playoff against the Netherlands in Brasilia.

"I will talk a bit with my family about everything that happened and get on with my life as usual, although, of course, it will not be the same.

"Nothing will ever be the same as it was before the squad got together."

Brazil's World Cup dream was left in tatters when it was annihilated in a record 7-1 loss to Germany in Tuesday's semifinal in Belo Horizonte, with Scolari labeling that day the worst of his life.

But he has experienced tragedy off the field too. Just days before Brazil's first World Cup match last month, he discovered his nephew had been killed in a car crash.

That came just weeks after his brother-in-law died in similar circumstances.

Scolari's contract as Brazil coach will run out after Saturday's match, although there have been suggestions the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) might ask him to stay on until the end of the year.

"My job began and ends with the World Cup. Tomorrow (Saturday) brings this phase to a close," he said at a media conference at the Mane Garrincha National Stadium.

"After that we will look at what I did right and wrong. In about a year and a half there have been a lot of very good things - we can't only look to the result of one match.

"We can't say the whole job was badly done because of one result," said Scolari, who said he had not had any discussions regarding his future with current CBF president Jose Maria Marin or the incoming president, Marco Polo.

Scolari took over for a second spell as Brazil coach in late 2012, replacing Mano Menezes.

Having led Brazil to glory at the 2002 World Cup in Japan, he hoped to repeat the feat this year on home soil.

"The aim was to get to the final and I didn't do it.

"If we had lost 1-0 instead of 7-1 it would not have been catastrophic - but we would have lost all the same.

"I have a squad that played the Confederations Cup and won and was very good.

"They are young. Finishing in the top four is not the end of the world," said Scolari, who believes the majority of his squad will be present at the next World Cup tournament in Russia in 2018.

Support from Silva

Brazil captain Thiago Silva on Friday spoke out in defense of Scolari.

"The defeat was not Felipao's fault. We are a group, and although I was not on the field I am part of that group," said Silva, who missed Tuesday's rout due to suspension.

The Paris Saint-Germain centerback, who was set to return to the side in Saturday's third-place playoff, looked on as Brazil trailed 5-0 inside half an hour in the semifinal after conceding four goals in just six minutes.

"Unfortunately that is what happened. It was six minutes of panic," he said, before admitting his regret at not being able to take part in Sunday's final at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro.

"Of course it's frustrating. We all wanted to win a sixth World Cup but it was not possible. Felipao and his staff had confidence in the whole squad.

"It is frustrating because I had a lot of sleepless nights thinking about this World Cup and possibly getting to the final."

Brazil, which was famously defeated by Uruguay at the Maracana in the deciding game of the 1950 tournament, has not played a single game at the legendary venue in Rio de Janeiro this time.

As it prepared to face the Dutch at Mane Garrincha, Silva emphasized his hope that Brazil can rescue some pride by finishing third.