Brazil begin hunt for the sixth World Cup

MONTEVIDEO: Brazil begin their quest for a sixth World Cup crown this weekend as the South American nations set out on a marathon two-year qualifying campaign for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.

Brazil, as reigning champions, have not been given direct entry to the finals following a rule change by world football's governing body FIFA.

That puts extra pressure on the nine other nations who must join the Brazilians in the fight for one of the four qualification spots while the fifth-placed side enter a playoff.

For the third year running, the ten countries are in one big group and play each other home and away.

For Brazil, qualifying is often the hardest part of their World Cup campaign. Their record-breaking fifth success in Japan 14 months ago has obliterated the memory of a halting qualifying campaign which saw them hit form late to scrape in as the third of the four qualifiers in 2001.

Argentina meanwhile sailed into the finals as group winners but crashed out in the first round once they reached Asia.

Brazil retain the core of the team that beat Germany 2-0 in the 2002 final in Yokohama as they head for the Colombian city of Barraquilla on Sunday.

Ronaldo, who collected both goals in the final and six others to finish leading scorer for the tournament, has warned his teammates that Colombia could be a tricky prospect after their tenacious performance in this year's Confederations Cup tournament in France.

Colombian goalkeeper Oscar Cordoba says his team have no inferiority complex. Carlos Alberto Parreira is back in charge after Luiz Felipe Scolari took over the reins of Portugal, and midfield playmaker Ronaldinho is suspended, but otherwise the three R's —Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Roberto Carlos are all back.

Argentina welcome Chile to Buenos Aires on Saturday with Marcelo Bielsa, the brother of Argentine Foreign Minister Rafael Bielsa, retained as coach despite the World Cup humiliation.

Fixtures: Saturday: Peru v Paraguay, Ecuador v Venezuela, Argentina-Chile; Sunday: Uruguay v Bolivia, Colombia v Brazil.

Source:  NEWINDPRESS.COM

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