Pato wary of Team GB
- Saturday,
Team GB Double Header
Women v Sweden (4pm)
Men v Brazil (7.45pm)
Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough FC
Buy Online - click here
Ticket hotline 0844 499 1234
Live on BBC1
AC Milan’s Brazilian star Alexandre Pato spoke out about how he wished to avoid Team GB in the later stages of the Olympics as they aim for their first ever Olympic title at London 2012.
Pato is part of the 18-man Selecao who will be heading to Britain for this summer’s sporting extravaganza, but before they kick off against Egypt in Cardiff, they head to Middlesbrough to face Team GB in a pre-tournament warm-up.
Stuart Pearce’s side will be hoping to impress the fans at the Riverside Stadium and the Brazilian forward expects the home nation to be one of the Olympic favourites.
“I hope I will only meet them in the friendly because in the Olympics they will be a very difficult side to beat, especially at home,” Pato said.
“'This will be the third time London has hosted the Olympics and football is very important here and I think Great Britain will be going for the title.”
The 22-year-old from Pato Branco in Brazil, went on to say: “Football is very important in Brazil and of all the times we have played at the Olympics we have never won a gold medal.”
Brazil will be aiming to change that this year as Pato lines up with the likes of highly-rated Neymar and FC Porto’s Hulk.
“In Beijing we won the bronze, which wasn’t what was expected of us. But for me, getting that medal stirred up great emotion.
“If that was the emotion in winning the bronze I don’t know what it would be like to win gold.” Even with Europe’s biggest names like Thiago Silva and Marcelo, Alexandre Pato sees overcoming Team GB at the Riverside Stadium on the 20 July a very difficult task.
Tickets for the double-header are still available directly from Middlesbrough FC. Click here to book online or call the ticket hotline on 0844 499 1234
Brazil's Olympic squad for London 2012
Goalkeepers: Rafael Cabral (Santos), Neto (Fiorentina)
Defenders: Marcelo (Real Madrid), Rafael (Manchester United), Danilo (Porto), Alex Sandro (Porto), Thiago Silva (AC Milan), Juan (Inter Milan), Bruno Uvini (Sao Paulo)
Midfielders: Romulo (Vasco da Gama), Ganso (Santos), Oscar (Internacional), Sandro (Tottenham Hotspur), Lucas (Sao Paulo)
Forwards: Neymar (Santos), Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Leandro Damiao (Internacional), Hulk (Porto).
by Connor Hughes
