The reigning champions have won all four games they have played and scored 10 goals for just one against, but even coach Carlos Alberto Parriera has been critical of their form to date.

Gilberto Silva said he agreed and that further progress had to be made if the South Americans were to win a record sixth crown in Berlin on July 9.

"I really believe that we are not playing to the best of our ability right now," the Arsenal player told the FIFA World Cup website.

"We can play much, much better than this and we will need to if we want to go to the final."

Gilberto Silva started in Brazil's final group game against Japan and came on at half time as a replacement for Emerson in the last 16 round game against Ghana.

Turning to Brazil's quarterfinal clash with France in Frankfurt on Saturday, he said that the big danger-man would be his Gunners teammate Thierry Henry.

"France are a spectacular team full of great players and we will have to be at our best to get a result against them," he said.

"Thierry is a special player and a handful for even the best of defenders, but I think if we continue to play well and improve we can beat France and move one step closer to our goal."