Thaindian News

Rio de Janeiro, Aug 15 (IANS) Brazil and Barcelona defender Daniel Alves has told his national teammates to forget the country’s Olympic disappointment ahead of Wednesday’s friendly against Sweden in Stockholm.

Alves joined Ramires (Chelsea), Dede (Vasco da Gama), Jonas (Valencia) and David Luiz (Chelsea) as over-23 players to be called up by coach Mano Menezes, reports Xinhua

The remainder of the squad features members of the team which lost Sunday’s Olympic final 2-1 to Mexico at London’s Wembley Stadium.

“When you lose you have two options,” Alves said Monday. “You either stay on the floor feeling sorry for yourself or you pick yourself up and keep going.

“Those of us who weren’t a part of the Olympics are also feeling it. We all wanted to win the Olympic gold medal. But now it’s important to get on our feet again quickly.”

Alves said he had regained full fitness having recovered from a broken collarbone suffered in May.

Wednesday’s match will be the last played at the Rasunda Stadium, which hosted Brazil’s 5-2 victory over Sweden in the 1958 World Cup final.

Brazil will wear a replica of the blue strip used during the tournament.