FRANCE 98 – Match preview n°49
They were touted as near superhumans at the outset, but much of Brazil’s gloss was stripped away by Norway’s artisans in the 2-1 defeat at Marseille.
After that surprise reverse, the defending champions must step up several gears if they are to beat a Chile side burning to show that there is more to South American football than the samba and tango rhythms of Brazil and Argentina. Although they had already won the group with wins over Scotland and Morocco, coach Mario Zagallo had insisted he wanted his men to retain the habit of winning.
Instead, he must now demand the team to pull itself together to win a battle royal at the Parc des Princes, where Ronaldo, the best player in the world, will pit his wits against Chile’s own two princes, Marcelo Salas and Ivan Zamorano. And he does so with a Brazilian media still far from convinced the team was pulling its weight, even before the Norway hiccup.
Just after the squad arrived, popular daily newspaper Lance suggested they needed a shake-up. ” Give them Viagra, “ the paper demanded, alluding to the pill supposed to cure male impotence. ” They’re without leadership, determination and the will to win .. and in the last month or so Zagallo has indulged in a veritable festival of incoherence, “ Lance charged. And given that, in the words of former goalkeeper Barbosa, a losing finalist in 1950, “coming second in Brazil is worse than nowhere at all, Zagallo is well aware that only the best is good enough. “
Zagallo insisted Thursday that the Norway defeat–their first in the World Cup finals since Argentina beat them in the second round of the 1990 edition–was a blip and would not derail Brazil’s campaign for a fifth title. But with Bebeto, their top scorer with two goals here, not certain to have recovered from an injury suffered in training Thursday, their task could become all the more difficult.
Of the Norway game Zagallo said: ” We lost concentration in the final seven minutes and paid the price. I know the players have taken it to heart, and I think this defeat will end up doing us a lot of good. We will not make those mistakes again, “ Zagallo insisted.
The ‘auriverde’ will make some changes for the game, as Aldair returns to link up with Junior Baiano in central defence and Cesar Sampaio returns from his one-match ban to form a defensive shield at midfield with captain Dunga. Leonardo will move further upfield to link with Rivaldo. With Baiano having struggled against the muscular Tore-Andre Flo, the defence will need all hands on deck to deal with Salas and Zamorano.
The Za-Sa twins, as they have been dubbed, wreaked havoc with opponents’ defences in Chile’s first-round games, with Salas scoring three times to help his country into the second phase for the first time since 1962, when they lost to Brazil in the semi-finals. Salas needs just one more goal to become Chile’s all-time record scorer with 28, and there could be no better time than Saturday to get it.
Yet defender Javier Margas was at pains to say that there is more to the team than the deadly duo who blasted 16 goals in the South American qualifiers–ten of them going to Zamorano. ” We are united. We play as a team and egos don’t get in the way, “ says Margas. ” Salas and Zamorano are excellent strikers and their presence lifts the rest of us psychologically, but they are part of the team, “ added Margas, who is dying his hair blood red for the occasion.
Nelson Acosta’s side are hampered by the loss through the suspensions of Nelson Parraguez, Francisco Rojas and Moises Villarroel. But defender Pedro Reyes says the squad has the strength in depth to cope. ” The suspensions will give other squad members a chance to show their worth, “ said Reyes, while midfielder Jose Sierra added: ” I don’t think it will disadvantage us too much. We have 22 great players on our squad. “
Captain Zamorano is particularly relishing a meeting with the Brazilians and Ronaldo–his teammate at Inter Milan. ” Ronaldo told me before the World Cup that Chile wouldn’t make it past the first round, “ Zamorano explained. ” My dream is to play Brazil, win the match, and then exchange jerseys with Ronaldo. “
Uruguay-born Acosta, while already delighted to have taken Chile through the opening phase for the first time in 36 years, now hopes for a huge upset that would elevate him to hero status. ” I think it will be the best match of the World Cup, “ Acosta forecast. ” Everybody knows Brazil are a great team who are capable of winning a fifth World Cup. But win, lose or draw, we will make it hard for them. “