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Scouting Report: Group A
Artists at Work
by Grant Wahl
Posted: Tues June 9th
Group B | Group C | Group D
Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H
 It may be like comparing two Monet renderings of the same
scene, but
Brazil's
attack is even more talented than its
offense of four years ago. Though it lost World Cup '94 MVP
Romário to a calf injury, World
Player of the Year
Ronaldo, a
striker, and running mate Edmundo are
still amply supported by onrushing
defender Roberto Carlos, whose free-kick sorcery is
unparalleled. While those three hope to lead the way to the
first repeat championship since the Brazilian teams' of
1958 and '62, the defense has been fallible in
recent matches. After losing to the U.S. 1-0 in Los Angeles in
February, Brazil fell to Argentina by the same score in Rio
last month. The two South American
antagonists could be headed for a semifinal rematch in France,
and for Brazil the pressure to
win—and win with style—might be too much. "It's like
fighting with a drunk," midfielder Leonardo has said
of his country's crushing expectations. "If we lose
it's ridiculous, and if we win it's cowardice."
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An inviting target up front, Norway's 6'4" Flo (9)
will play alongside a brother and a cousin.
(Clive Brunskill/Allsport)
| After
Norway stunned Brazil 4-2 in Oslo last year, coach Egil Olsen
announced that Brazil's midfield was "as
organized as garbage" and crowed that the world champs
would be unbeatable—but only if he were their coach.
Bold Egil will put his team where his mouth is
when the two sides meet on June 23 in Marseilles. Unbeaten
in its qualifying matches, Norway is counting on 11 players
from the English Premier League, including
6'4" striker Tore André Flo (nickname: Flonaldo),
who scored twice in the victory over Brazil. The
Norwegians' soft spot is goalkeeper: Frode Grodås
spent his club season on the bench for England's Tottenham
Hotspur.
Led by Spanish-based midfielders
Mustapha Hadji and Noureddine
Naybet,
Morocco should improve on its 0-3 performance of '94, though the
Atlas Lions' offense is still too static to move them
beyond the first round.
Scotland
will be able to blame its eighth first-round exit in eight
tries on slow, mechanical players (forward Kevin Gallacher
is the best of a thin lot) or bad luck: For the third time,
the Scots have drawn Brazil in their group.
Group B | Group C | Group D
Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H
Issue date: June 15, 1998
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