Dunga feels adrenaline rush against Argentina

LONDON, Sep 3 (Reuters) Brazil's match against their rivals Argentina in London today gave new coach Dunga the true feeling of being back in big-time soccer.

''Against Norway I felt very apprehensive but today I felt the adrenaline, I really felt I was the Brazil national team coach,'' he said after his side beat Argentina 3-0 in a first friendly international between the sides in London.

''In my life I was lacking that adrenaline, that thing of battling,'' said Dunga, Brazil's 1994 World Cup-winning captain known for his combative style, told a news conference at Arsenal's Emirates stadium.

Dunga made his debut in the Brazil hot seat with a 1-1 draw against Norway in a friendly in Oslo on August 16.

''I would have felt very bad in defeat. Argentina against Brazil is a war, there's a great rivalry,'' he said.

''To lose 3-0 does no-one any good,'' added Dunga, looking to restore his team's pride after their poor World Cup in Germany when they lost the crown they won in Japan in 2002 at the quarter-final stage.

''When Argentina played football they had us in trouble but from the moment they tried to batter us, Brazil won.'' TREMENDOUS FINISHING Dunga's counterpart Alfio Basile, still part-time because he leaves his post with Boca Juniors only in the middle of September, was not too distraught by the defeat, arguing that his team had just got together and many players were unavailable.

''I don't question the result, perhaps the score, it was not a result we expected but the team needs a lot of work,'' said Basile after starting his second Argentina spell following World Cup coach Jose Pekerman's resignation.

''They had tremendous finishing and we didn't. I think we had six goal chances and didn't put any away, they had the same number and scored three times.'' Basile said it was a coincidence that all three Brazilian goals came from the right but explained his second half substitutions as looking ''to try to shut up their right flank, the attacking runs of Cicinho and Elano.'' Midfielder Elano, one of the more match fit players on show as he plays his club football for Shakhtar Dontesk in Ukraine where they are in mid-season, scored twice and substitute midfielder Kaka a fine, late third.

Basile added that his Boca team's meeting with Sao Paulo in the South American Super Cup before he quits the club game would not be a revenge match after today's result.

The Brazil outnumbered their rivals with their yellow colours swamping the small pockets of white and light blue in the 60,000 crowd at the new stadium.

A handful held up play near the end when they ran on to the pitch to embrace their heroes.

Reuters DH GC0025