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Four-timer Brazil faces no-timers France, Netherlands, Croatia
Posted: Saturday July 04, 1998 08:53 PM
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Brazilians are ready to celebrate another World Cup title but they will have to face French fans first (AP) |
PARIS (AP) -- A five-time champion or a first-time winner?
Brazil, the defending champion and the most successful World Cup team of
all time, aims to hold onto the trophy, while the other three
semifinalists, Netherlands, France and Croatia, have never won it before.
Croatia, which became a nation just seven years ago after breaking away
from Yugoslavia, has gone all the way to the final four in its first World
Cup. Now the team will try to beat host France for a spot in the final.
Brazil, winner in 1958, '62, '70 and '94, meets the Netherlands, losing
finalist in 1974 and '78, in Marseille on Tuesday. The France-Croatia
semifinal is the next night in Saint-Denis, outside Paris.
A look at the four semifinalists: Brazil
Coach Mario Zagallo has a wealth of talent in attack and midfield, but
his defense has shown alarming weaknesses.
Four Brazilians have their own goal-scoring race going on with Rivaldo,
Bebeto, Ronaldo and Cesar Sampaio all with three goals. Ronaldo has shown
himself to be an impressive playmaker rather than scorer, while Rivaldo and
Denilson have unlocked defenses with their weaving runs.
But the defense was repeatedly caught out by Denmark's fast forwards, and
the Dutch, who also have talented strikers like Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick
Kluivert and Marc Overmars, will relish the opportunity to attack Junior
Baiano and Aldair at the heart of the Brazilian defense.
Suker scored Croatia's third goal in a stunning victory against Germany (AP) | |
Roberto Carlos was guilty of a glaring blunder against the Danes, missing
his overhead kick when he tried to clear the ball in front of goal, and
will want to make up for that. Probably with one of his trademark
long-range free kicks. Netherlands
The attacking duo of Bergkamp and Overmars has been embarrassing
defenders all through the World Cup, and Bergkamp's last-minute goal to
oust Argentina in the quarterfinals was one of the best goals of the
championship.
Kluivert, ejected in the opening game against Belgium, looked sharp on
his return and Edgar Davids, Philip Cocu and Ronald de Boer are influential
support players.
But Jaap Stam, hailed as the world's most expensive defender after his
$16.7 million move from PSV Eindhoven to Manchester United, has been guilty
of errors that gave away goals. France
After scoring nine goals in three first-round group games, the French
forwards seem to have forgotten how to score.
Although midfield stars such as Zinedine Zidane, Youri Djorkaeff and
Emmanuel Petit have supplied plenty of ammunition, strikers David
Trezeguet, Thierry Henry, Bernard Diomede and Stephane Guivarc'h couldn't
score against Paraguay or Italy. The lone French goal in those games came
from defender Laurent Blanc.
On the flip side, the defense, with Blanc and Marcel Desailly looking
consistent, has only given up one goal in five games. Croatia
The complete outsider left in the competition upset three-time champion
Germany 3-0 in the quarterfinal.
Robert Jarni, Goran Vlaovic and Davor Suker hit the goals after the
Germans had a player ejected. But the Croatians have stars from big Italian
and Spanish clubs who have tested club soccer at the highest level and
won't feel out of place, even against the home team.
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