<!--Article Start--> <h2 style="text-align: justify"><strong><em>Brazil coach Dunga blamed a mystery virus for his team's shock Copa America exit to Paraguay on Saturday as the most successful footballing nation on the planet struggled to digest another tournament setback.</em></strong><strong><em> </em></strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify">Dunga said as many as 15 members of his squad had been affected by the virus, which he said had disrupted preparations for the quarter-final against the Paraguayans.</p> . <p style="text-align: justify">"I'm not making excuses, but around 15 players had viruses which limited our training," Dunga said.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"Some had headaches, back pain, body aches. Some players felt it more than others and had to reduce training, some players vomited. Today was a game where we needed speed and we didn't have it," he added.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Dunga's explanation caused confusion amongst members of his squad, with midfielder Filipe Luis telling reporters he was unaware of any mass illness amongst his team-mates.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"I didn't know anything about that," the Chelsea player said. "Some of the other guys might have had a problem, but I didn't."</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Goalkeeper Jefferson however backed his manager. "Everyone woke up with a fever, headache and body aches," he said, before playing down the extent to which it had affected the result.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"><strong>Brazil on sick bed?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify">For the second Copa America in succession, Brazil exited at the quarter-final stage to the Paraguayans on penalties.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Dunga's side looked to be in control during the first half when Robinho fired them into a 15th-minute lead.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">But Derlis Gonzalez leveled from the penalty spot for Paraguay in the second half, and then struck the winning spot-kick in the shoot-out to clinch a famous win and set up a semi-final with Argentina.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">While Dunga talked about a mystery virus, others will be left asking whether Brazilian football in general is on its sick bed.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Dunga had looked to have been nursing the Selecao back to health as the team recovered from the traumatic humiliation of last year's World Cup semi-final drubbing by Germany, overseeing 10 consecutive wins in friendlies leading up to the Copa America.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">But those results merely camouflaged the same problems that existed at the World Cup, a dearth of creative flair and an over-reliance on Neymar.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Brazil needed a late, Neymar-inspired goal to squeeze past Peru in their opening game, and were then derailed 1-0 by Colombia in their second match.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Neymar's frustration boiled over resulting in the four-match ban that ended his participation in the tournament. Brazil fared slightly better in a 2-1 win over Venezuela, before Saturday's loss to Paraguay.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"><strong>'Useless to cry'</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify">"We knew from the beginning it would not be easy," Dunga said. "We had many victories but we still were not happy. We will try to come back and react.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"There's always pressure on Brazil when you win or when you lose. We will try to get better and better. Many great players have failed on penalties.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"If it was easy a lot of people could do my job, but it's not ... It's useless to cry about it."</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Dunga meanwhile acknowledged the deeper problems facing Brazil as they attempt to reclaim their place at the summit of the global game.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"We all have to think about Brazilian football," he said. "We can't ignore the fact that other teams have got a lot better."</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Dunga, who captained Brazil's 1994 World Cup-winning side, also called on demanding Brazilian fans to be more patient as new players developed.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"There's a new trend in Brazil where a player plays two games and becomes a star," he said. "After two games he either becomes the best in the world or the worst in the world."</p> <p style="text-align: justify"><strong>By AFP</strong></p>