The 2014 World Cup host nation's match against Mexico brought doubts as to whether Brazil were favorites for the trophy.
The Selecao's 0-0 draw also brought under scrutiny the attacking talent at Brazil's expense.
Fluminense forward Fred was a huge disappointment in Scolari's men's second game, causing many to wonder if he is equip to lead the five-time winners' attack, with former England attacker Alan Shearer claiming "he's dragging the whole team down."
But now captain and star defender Thiago Silva has come to the 30-year-old striker's defense, saying: “Fred continues to be an important player for us. He doesn’t have to score goals to prove his worth.”
“He is here to support the team and it’s great if he creates space for other players. He is really focused. There was a lot of pressure on him during the Confederations Cup as well."
“As a striker, he always wants to score. If he does score tomorrow, it will be great for him, but he can also be important without scoring,” the Selecao skipper stressed ahead of their Monday clash with Cameroon.
“We’re going out there to win. It’s not really important whether we play beautiful football. It will be good if we play attacking football and score a lot of goals. But the main objective is to win,” the 29-year-old defender continued on to say.
“We want to show that we’re a cohesive squad and are united team. We have had some difficulties, but that’s normal. We want to show that we’re committed. We have all the respect for Cameroon, but we need a great game in order to reach the next round.”
“We want to reach the next stage and progress, but sometimes people don’t understand how hard it can be."
