Soccer-Big Phil fumes over "choosing opponents" comments

By Brian Homewood BRASILIA, June 22 (Reuters) - Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari fumed over a suggestion the World Cup hosts would pick and choose their second round opponents, describing the comment as "stupid and ill-intentioned". Brazil face Cameroon in Group A on Monday (2000 GMT) needing a point to reach the last 16 where they will face either the Netherlands or Chile, who have already qualified from Group B. The Netherlands and Chile meet earlier in the day (1600) to decide who finishes first and second, giving Brazil the theoretical advantage of knowing who they would meet if they come top or runners-up. "Some people expressed a view that we were going to choose who we were going to play. Those sorts of comments are either stupid or ill-intentioned, I repeat stupid or ill-intentioned," said Scolari, raising his finger. "We have to play to qualify, not pick and choose our opponents. It was FIFA who chose the kickoff time," the man known as Felipao (Big Phil) told a news conference. Scolari's comments appeared to be aimed at Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal who earlier on Sunday had complained because his side were playing before Brazil in Monday's schedule. TALKING NONSENSE When the matter was raised again by another reporter, Scolari said: "You are putting emphasis on somebody who is talking nonsense." The Group A winners play the Group B runners-up on Saturday, while the second-placed team in Group A meet the Group B winners next Sunday. Brazil and Mexico have four points in Group A while Croatia have three and Cameroon, who are already eliminated, have none. Earlier, Van Gaal railed against world soccer's governing body FIFA and suggested the scheduling of the games disadvantaged the Netherlands. "FIFA plays these tricks. It's not a good thing of course. It's not fair play," said the Dutchman. "We're going to focus on a victory tomorrow (Monday) against Chile, and I don't think that will be affected by the fact that Brazil will be playing after us. I'm just assuming that they will do their sporting duty." (Reporting by Brian Homewood; editing by Ken Ferris)