"Brazil panicked against Holland"

Former Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira was puzzled by the way the team seemed to go to pieces against the Dutch.

The Brazilians had gone in at half-time on a high - after Robinho's early goal had given them the lead in the quarter-finals against the Oranje.

The dream turned into a nightmare in the second half as a Wesley Sneijder brace saw the Selecao crash and burn.

Parreira, who was in charge of the team that crashed out at the same stage against Germany in 2006, defended coach Dunga against the criticism that has been levelled at him.

In an interview with Globoesporte, Parreira said: "I think the results are the same. With me, we won the Copa America, the Confederations Cup in Germany, beating the hosts (Germany) and then Argentina in the final. We were in first place in the qualifiers, but we were eliminated (in the World Cup). The same thing happened now.

"There's no ready formula. Each country has its way of training, its philosophy. The important thing is having success and results."

Giving his views on the quarter-final game, Parreira said: "It's a shame (the defeat to Holland) because Brazil was doing well, with a lot of victories. The team was playing well and had an excellent first half. They could have decided the match by half-time.

"What I did not understand was how the team panicked after the Netherlands equalised. How an experienced team like Brazil lost their heads.

"I won't speak too much from far, because I saw the match on TV, but I noticed that the team was out of control in an unexpected way considering the style that it has."

After the unceremonious tournament, the Brazilian football federation sacked Dunga and Parreira warned the new coach would have to come armed with a long list of qualifications.

"It has to be an independent coach, very experienced, that can sustain the rain and thunder. He will need to make his own decisions, because there will be a lot of advice from everyone. There will be more pressure in four years time, because winning a World Cup as hosts is tougher."

Commenting on his own future after his contract with South Africa expired, Parreira said: "I have received some offers from top Brazilian clubs and from three national teams; none of them are from Europe.

"They all would like me to start working at the end of the year, but I'm almost decided on not leaving Brazil anymore. I'm going to rest until December and enjoy some time with my family."