FRANCE 98 – Match preview n°1

World champions Brazil and continual underachievers Scotland finally face each other after months of anticipation in the opening match of the World Cup at the Stade de France on Wednesday.

An estimated 38 billion television viewers will watch the World Cup overall and a large chunk of those will be focussed on the Stade de France to the north of the Paris for this game which kicks off at 5:30 p.m. (1530 GMT).

Coach Craig Brown vowed that Scotland, who have never advanced beyond the first round, will not be overawed by the momentous occasion.

Brazilian coach Mario Zagallo also has something to prove if you look closely at the statistics. On the surface, he has a marvellous record, winning as a player in 1958 and 1962, as a coach in 1970 and as an  assistant coach in 1994. However in 1970, the World-Cup winning side owed nothing to Zagallo, because Jorge Saldanha was the coach who took them to the finals but was not kept on because the outspoken left-wing intellectual had upset Brazilian officials.

So though Zagallo may have been the official world championship winning coach in 1970, it was not he who picked the side. The only other time he picked the side, when coach in 1974, the Brazilians flopped. He will now be desperately hoping that this Brazilian side, which he alone has selected, lives up to its billing. Zagallo is being pilloried by the press back in Brazil where there is not a great deal of confidence despite the hype in Europe surrounding the four-time winners.

Antonio Pimenta, managing editor of the big Estado e Sao Paulo newspaper, said even after watching Scotland’s lacklustre game against the United States last weekend, Brazilians in general were still not that confident of a big win. Pimenta said: ” We’d normally expect to beat them 6-0 but with the current team, only a 1-0 victory over Scotland is expected. This is a pale imitation of the glory days of Brazilian football. ” In 1958, we had giants in the team. Now we only have players with promise. There is no collective game, no synchronisation. It’s every player for himself and Zagallo has a lot to do with this. “

Confidence has also gone down following the withdrawal of Romario with a calf injury a day before the squad was announced. A poll said 70 percent of Brazilians thought their team could win the trophy. But after Romario, pulled out, that figure plummeted to a miserly 11 percent.

Before the loss to Norway this season, Brazilians in general thought the current team were better than the 1994 edition which won the World Cup under Carlos Alberto Parreira. With Romario and Ronaldo up front, Bebeto on the bench, Leonardo and Denilson in midfield, Roberto Carlos at left back and Giovanni and Rivaldo waiting for their chance, many thought this was the best side since 1970.

Then came a series of catastrophe’s, a 1-0 loss to the United States, further losses to Norway and Argentina, and a mere 1-1 draw against club side Athletic Bilbao. In fact against Argentina, keeper Taffarel showed his vulnerability by not being able to keep his footing and stop the winning goal although the ball only had a narrow angle to find the net.

Brazil trained near their base 35km to the southeast of Paris on Monday. They also have another scheduled run-out at the Stade de France Tuesday afternoon. Zagallo has a few injury worries to resolve. Central defender Aldair, carrying a groin injury, is doubtful for the match. ” I am worried, “ said team doctor Lidio Toledo. ” A decision will be made Tuesday. “ Replacement defender Andres Cruz is nursing a thigh strain and midfielder Leonardo is also complaining of a thigh strain.

Scotland are set to train just before the Brazilians at Stade de France after arriving from their base at St Remy de Provence in the south of France on Tuesday morning.

Brown said he will only announce the squad an hour and a half before the kick-off. Scotland will not be up against just a football team, but a legendary footballing country. ” The very name Brazil stirs the imagination, “ said Brown. ” I’ve had to tell our guys not to be mesmerised by the golden jerseys. They don’t win the games. It’s the bodies inside that have to be good and to be organized. “