Soccer-Brazil coach happy after bringing on Alves secured win

By Mike Collett

JOHANNESBURG, June 25 (Reuters) - Brazil coach Dunga said he brought on Daniel Alves as a late substitute because if his team earned a free kick near South Africa's goal the player could win Thursday's game -- which is exactly what happened.

Alves replaced Andre Santos in their Confederations Cup semi-final against the host nation, who had kept out Brazil for 82 minutes and had carved the better chances.

"The match was very even and I decided we needed a quick, aggressive player, a specialist at set-pieces," Dunga told a news conference.

"Daniel Alves trains every day at set-pieces and I thought if we had a few opportunites left to try and win the match with a free kick in front of goal, he would be the man. "It turned out perfect for us (with an 88th-minute free kick winner from Alves) but it was a very difficult game. They made it very hard for us. We knew South Africa were going to counter-attack and defend very deeply and they did."

Dunga said it was special to be facing a South African side managed by his former Vasco da Gama manager, Brazilian Joel Santana.

"Without a doubt," he said, "not only because he is a Brazilian coach but all his assistants are Brazilian and this made our task all the more difficult."

Looking ahead to Sunday's final against United States, who Brazil beat 3-0 in the group stage last week, Dunga said: "They have their own peculiar way of playing.

"We will sit down and analyse what we have to do to beat them but that will not be easy either."