BERLIN - Time to samba. Brazil sets course for what could be its sixth World
Cup title — twice as many as any other country — when it plays Croatia at the
Olympic Stadium on Tuesday night. Already, thousands of Brazilian fans are in
town.
And even non-Brazilians are embracing the Samba Kings known for their
graceful style of play. All over Berlin, fans from dozens of nations are decked
out in the famed yellow jerseys of the defending champions.
Opponents seem honored to share the field with them, too.
"This match can certainly be like no other," Croatia midfielder Igor Tudor
said. "I have been thinking about it for months now and I never do that."
Does that mean the Croatians, who made the semifinals at France '98, have the
wrong mind-set for the game? Does Brazil own the three points before the first
kickoff?
"Soccer is an unpredictable sport and the World Cup has shown there can be
surprises," Croatia coach Zlatko Kranjcar said, "so there is no reason why we
cannot pull off a surprise ourselves."
So Croatia will show up. Whether it can slow up the brilliant Brazilians is
another matter.
Brazil's roster is loaded, so much so that all of its bench players are
capable of starting for other nations in the 32-team field. At the very top of
the list are the superstars: Ronaldinho, the two-time FIFA player of the year;
Ronaldo, who owns three of those awards; Cafu, in his fourth World Cup; and
Robert Carlos, the dynamic defensive organizer.
"We can't wait to begin playing," coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said. "We've
been living the same routine for the past 20 days. Everybody is just crazy to
begin competing, not only the players, the technical staff, too.
"We have the obligation to perform well in this World Cup. We don't have the
obligation to win it, but we have the obligation to do our best to reach the
final. ... It's a responsibility we must be prepared to face, and I think we are
ready for this challenge."
Also Tuesday, in Group G, South Korea challenges Togo at Frankfurt, and
France plays Switzerland at Stuttgart.
The Koreans made the semifinals four years ago as one of the host countries,
but a similar run so far from home is unlikely. Indeed, South Korea could
struggle to get out of the first round.
Despite reaching the semifinals on its own soil in 2002, South Korea has yet
to win a World Cup game outside of Asia, and Tuesday's game provides the
opportunity to end that streak.
"We beat a lot of strong teams in Korea," said midfielder Park Ji-sung, who
also plays for Manchester United. "But not on foreign soil. If we beat a team in
Germany, especially in the first game of this World Cup, then that's the proof,
also for us, that we are strong. And that 2002 was not a fluke."
Togo would seem ripe for being routed. Its coach quit over the weekend during
a salary dispute between the federation and players. It is in the World Cup for
the first time, and it hasn't played well since surprisingly qualifying for the
tournament.
Then again, these are proud players on a mission.
"We want to prove to the world that we are footballers and we are hungry for
victory," forward Emmanuel Adebayor, who plays for Arsenal, said. "We know it's
the World Cup. It's the best tournament in the world. We have to give our best.
We have to represent Africa."
France has been plagued by injuries, losing striker Djibril Cisse with a
broken leg last week. The French also have bitter memories from 2002 when, as
defending champions, they didn't score a goal and went home after the first
round.
If Switzerland can keep the French off-balance early on, frustration could
set in. The Swiss drew both of their qualifying games with France and won't be
intimidated.
"I think we did well in the two qualifying matches," said striker Alexander
Frei, who plays in France for Rennes. "I think we can play without being
self-conscious. The idea of little Switzerland, that's over."
