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The hard way Brazil struggles to regain respect at Confederations Cup
TOKYO (AP) -- For years, Brazilians took a lord-of-the-manor view of the soccer world, convinced that the No. 1 spot was their birthright and that none could match their talent and flair for the game. No more. As Brazil grimly prepares for its May 31 opener at Ibaraki, Japan, in the Confederations Cup, the four-time World Cup champions are out to prove -- even to themselves -- that they haven't lost their touch. For a team accustomed to winning with style, Brazil lately hasn't seen much of either. Playing in one of the easiest qualifying groups for the 2002 World Cup, Brazil is struggling in fourth place behind Argentina, Paraguay and Ecuador. Fans are asking whether Brazil might not qualify for the Cup for the first time in history. After a humiliating 1-0 loss to tiny Ecuador and a 1-1 tie at home with modest Peru, Brazil was knocked out of the top spot in FIFA's world rankings for the first time since 1994. The Confederations Cup could be a make-or-break tournament for Brazil, which faces Cameroon, Canada and host Japan in the first round. France, South Korea, Australia and defending champion Mexico play in the other group in South Korea. "The main objective is to recover first place in the FIFA ranking," said coach and former all-star goalie Emerson Leao, whose job is rumored to hinge on a good showing in Japan. But he'll have to do it the hard way. Because of a scheduling conflict, the Brazilian Soccer federation agreed not to release athletes now competing in regional playoffs or the Copa Libertadores. That means no Romario, Juninho Paulista, Euller, Edilson, Alex, Ricardinho, Marcelinho and other top names. Also missing are veteran stars from foreign clubs, such as Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos and Cafu. After Brazil's recent fiascos in World Cup qualifying, Leao began a bold rebuilding campaign to test and develop new talent, but with little to show for it so far. With other dropouts because of injuries -- Ronaldo, Elber -- or contract disputes - Ronaldinho, Juninho Pernambucano -- Leao doesn't have a lot to work with. The roster is heavy with rookies, unknowns and second-stringers. The absence of teamwork -- not to mention talent -- was evident in Brazil's 2-0 win in a warmup game Friday over local club Verdy Tokyo, currently in last place in the J-league. Fully seven players made their first appearance in Brazil's famous yellow jersey. Defenders Edmilson and Cacapa, although teammates on France's Lyon, had trouble with the limited Verdy attack. In front, strikers Sonny Anderson and Washington were clearly not on the same page of the playbook. Washington and Julio Baptista got second-half goals to save Brazilian face, but Leao didn't try to hide his displeasure. "In a game like this we should have scored four or five," he said. Brazil's first and probably toughest adversary is Cameroon, which knocked Brazil out of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Cameroon went on to win the gold medal, while Brazil began its long slide. The "Indomitable Lions" are led by striker Patrick Mboma of AC Parma, who recently was named Africa's Player of the Year at the inaugural Confederation of African Football awards. Like Brazil, Cameroon takes its soccer seriously. This month, when the team lost its first World Cup qualifier after five straight wins, coach Jean-Paul Akono resigned and security forces were called in to protect his residence in Yaounde from angry fans who threatened to burn it down. For Japan, the tournament is a dry run for next year's World Cup, which also will be staged jointly by Japan and South Korea. It will be a good test for the Japanese, who are eager to improve and make a good showing at the Cup. The team's fortunes will likely ride on the play of AS Roma midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata, who will try to hook up with striker Akinori Nishizawa of Spanish first division side Espanyol. But French Coach Philippe Troussier must toughen his squad defensively to avoid a repeat of the 5-0 rout at the hands of the French in March. "Japanese soccer has made great progress, and they will have the support of their fans," cautioned Leao, who in the 1990s coached for Shimizu S-Pulse and Verdy Tokyo, then called Verdy Kawasaki. Canada, with a roster of players almost exclusively from European clubs, is out of contention for the World Cup but will look to surprise. Head coach Holger Osieck, who took over in 1998, led Canada to a surprise Gold Cup championship in February 2000, and that victory brought invitations to the Confederations Cup and to the Copa America, the South American championship, in July. But Osieck will be without the services of star striker Tomasz Radzinski and midfielder Owen Hargreaves, arguably the team's most talented players, who chose to stay with their clubs. Hargreaves started for Bayern Munich in last week's Champions Cup victory, and Radzinski is a crucial scorer for Anderlecht of Belgium.
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