Brazil start their long road to title defence

They travel to the steamy Caribbean Port of Barranquilla for the first of a marathon 18-match, 27-month long campaign, with the defending champions, under FIFA’s new ruling, no longer enjoying the luxury of an automatic place at the following World Cup finals.

Ronaldo, who scored both goals as Brazil beat Germany in the 2002 final, will make his debut in the qualifying competition while Colombia, where coach Francisco Maturana is enjoying his fourth stint in charge, are determined to make up for the disappointment of failing to qualify for Japan and South Korea.

Brazil are the only country to have played at all 17 World Cup finals but have suffered numerous frights recently, often finding the qualifiers tougher than the finals themselves.

Carlos Alberto Parreira, the present coach, was in charge 10 years ago when Brazil were Left needing to draw their last game at home to Uruguay to reach the 1994 World Cup after earlier suffering their first-ever defeat in a qualifier in a match away to Bolivia. Having qualified automatically for 1998 as champions, Brazil scraped into the 2002 finals after a stuttering campaign in which they lost six matches and used four coaches.

A 3-0 win over Venezuela kept their record intact and paved the way for their fifth world title.

“Hopefully, this time we can get off to a good start,” said Parreira.

“We’ve been through difficulties before and nobody wants to repeat this experience,” he added. “This time we want to qualify with games to spare.”

Brazil have kept the heart of the team which won a fifth World Cup last year including captain Cafu, defenders Roque Junior and Lucio, left-back Roberto Carlos, midfielders Gilberto Silva and Rivaldo and striker Ronaldo.

Cruzeiro midfielder Alex is expected to replace the suspended Ronaldinho with former captain Emerson stepping in for the injured Kleberson. Ronaldo has been in the Brazil squad at the 1994, 1998 and 2002 World Cups but this is his first taste of the tension of the qualifiers.