Brazilian pair Diego and Robinho promised on Tuesday that pranks
such as their notorious shorts-dropping episode are now over.
Diego, who has had an outstanding season for Werder Bremen in
the Bundesliga, and Real Madrid forward Robinho are both expected
to figure prominently in Brazil's Copa America campaign.
Both players have been given a chance to shine in the absence of
Ronaldinho and Kaka, who said they were too tired to play.
Robinho and Diego burst on to the scene as teenagers when they
played for the Santos team who won the Brazilian championship in
2002 but two years later they were made the scapegoats when Brazil
failed to qualify for the Olympic Games.
At a qualifying tournament in Chile, the pair were accused of
over-confidence after Diego was photographed pulling down Robinho's
shorts as they waited for their credentials.
"I don't think our generation has a debt with Brazil, but it was
very negative for us," Diego told reporters after training on
Tuesday.
"We are stronger and more mature and we know about our
responsibility."
Robinho agreed with his former club teammate.
"It's the time for our generation...I know that if Brazil don't
do well, the criticism will rain down upon me.
"We are more mature and have more experience after playing for
European teams."
Brazil, the Copa America champions, kick off their Group B
campaign against Mexico on Wednesday in their first competitive
game under Dunga.
On the pitch, Giancarlo Maldonado and Ricardo Paez scored either
side of the break to give hosts Venezuela a 2-2 draw with Bolivia
in their opening match of the Copa America.
With the Venezuelan and Bolivian presidents looking on, the home
side was denied earning just its second ever tournament victory
after conceding an own goal late in the first half.
Earlier in Merida, Peru stunned a mostly European-based Uruguay
squad 3-0 in the tournament's opening match. Uruguay is tied with
Argentina for the most tournament victories at 14.
(China Daily via Agencies June 28, 2007)