The Hindu : Leading contenders: Brazil

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 26, 2002

Sport

Sport - Football

Leading contenders: Brazil

Brazil might have seemed to be in perpetual crisis through the last two years as it struggled to get its act together in the South American qualifiers. But now, having protected their enviable record of being the only country to be present in all the World Cups, the Samba Kings should be approaching Asia's first World Cup confidently, setting their sights at a possible record fifth title.

This sudden transformation, undoubtedly, has been associated with the return to competitive football of the phenomenal Ronaldo after what seemed an unending duel with recurring injuries, at the same period when Brazil had its hitherto unbeaten streak in the qualifiers dented and was forced to call on the services of as many as 65 players and four coaches to help it eventually make the grade. Fortunately, all that is a story of the past by now and with Rivaldo too showing signs of recovery, Brazil as the great Pele said the other day could be written off only at one's own peril.

In fact, a part of the credit for the sudden turnaround also seems rightly due to the team coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, who has been successful in cementing a sound starting eleven, though he might still be drawing flak for his decision to leave out the veteran striker Romario from the squad. A tough taskmaster and a strict disciplinarian, Scolari, of late has also granted the Brazilian players sufficient freedom to allow their talent to be liberated from the physical style that he himself had adopted during the qualifiers.

This should see Brazil act with tremendous midfield power in Asia as it takes on Costa Rica, Turkey and debutant China in Group C, while also maintaining vigil to adapt itself quickly to defensive needs. Tactically, Brazil should be playing in a 3-5-2 system and the incentive to Scolari here could be the ability of his men to transform themselves into a massive striking force of 7 or 8 players and at once putting fear in the minds of the rival defenders.

With Marcos in goal, the rest of the Brazilian combination could be made up of Cafu, Lucio, Edmilson and Roberto Carlos (see picture, with coach Scolari) patrolling the defence, Vampeta, Emerson, Juninho Paulista and Ronaldinho Gaucho in the midfield and Rivaldo and Ronaldo up front. A potent combination as Cafu and Roberto Carlos would be expectedly overlapping through the right and left flanks to add teeth to the Brazilian attack.

The key to Brazilian fortunes in Asia is the performance of Ronaldo and Rivaldo and how the team controls the emotional side of its campaign. Especially when one looks back to unravel the still mysterious illness suffered by Ronaldo prior to the final against France four years ago and the demoralising effect it had on the whole team. Should Brazil control this enemy within itself, it would be quite hard for any team to overcome this four-time champion.

The draw, by the way, could have been better for Brazil had it not been pooled together in the same-half with France, Argentina and England. And then, though it would look short of class when compared to those glorious sides which helped Brazil to the top of the world in 1958, 1962, 1970 and 1994, it would still be impossible for anyone to write this squad off. For simply, it has the potential to play at a superior level and defeat any side on a given day.

— A. Vinod

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