Nothing to scare Brazil…

With little else to quibble over, journalists are reduced to discussing formations: is it 4-4-2? Or maybe 4-2-2-2?

With little else to quibble over, journalists are reduced to discussing formations: is it 4-4-2? Or maybe 4-2-2-2? There is no dispute over the result though – everyone knows that Brazil will win their first match — and, in these circumstances, little point in even discussing Croatia.

Asked today whether he’d seen anything in the matches so far to fear, Carlos Alberto Parreira paused a moment, then replied emphatically, but with a twinkle in his eyes: “I have seen nothing to scare us.”

That confidence stems from Brazil’s recent record, no doubt, and its strength on paper, but history goes against them: only once has a World Cup held in Europe been won by a non-European team, and that was Brazil in 1958. Parreira acknowledged that point before making his own. “History is against us; the Europeans are at home, they can walk here, they can cycle across. But if any team can do it this time it is Brazil.”

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Other coaches may have preferred downplaying such sentiments given the enormous pressure already on the Blaugrana . It is a known fact that anything less than a win will be seen as failure back home. Just for reference, the first team’s defeat to the reserves in a practice match on Sunday prompted a barrage of media questions – and the vast army of fans gathered here in Berlin will add to the pressure as much as provide support.

Yet the coach was clear on the pressure principle. “It comes from outside”, he said, “not from inside Brazil. It cannot hurt us, it has not touched us.’

They must be superhuman, then, not just brilliant. Yet for all their dazzle, Brazil have problems. Once you get past their midfield, or if you can avoid being dazzled, you stand a pretty good chance of scoring. Brazil have no defence, Croatia have a class striker in Dado Prso. The danger, of course, is that by then Croatia may already be a couple of goals down.

Strange though it may sound, Brazil have a lot to prove. Kaka made a brief appearance at the last World Cup and will want to show his skills over a tournament; Ronaldo will want to dispel the “Fat Ronnie” rumours once and for all, and Adriano would like to make a statement of his arrival.

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Only Ronaldinho, smiling, serene, will play for fun. The Europeans can walk and cycle here but Brazil can fly. Takeoff is Tuesday night in Berlin.

Brazil

Goalkeepers: Dida (1); Rogerio Ceni (12); Julio Cesar (22)

Defenders: Cafu (2); Lucio (3); Juan (4); Roberto Carlos (6); Cicinho (13); Luisao (14); Cris (15); Gilberto (16)

Midfielders: Emerson (5); Kaka (8); Ronaldinho (10); Ze Roberto (11); Gilberto Silva (17); Mineiro (18); Juninho Pernambucano (19); Ricardinho (20)

Forwards: Adriano (7); Ronaldo (9); Fred (21); Robinho (23)

Croatia

Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa (1); Joe Didulica (12); Tomislav Butina (23)

Defenders: Josip Simunic (3); Robert Kovac (4); Igor Tudor (5); Dario Simic (7); Mario Tokic (11); Stjepan Tomas (13)

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Midfielders: Darijo Srna (2); Jurica Vranjes (6); Marko Babic (8); Niko Kovac (10); Luka Modric (14); Ivan Leko (15); Jerko Leko (16); Niko Kranjcar (19); Anthony Seric (20)

Forwards: Dado Prso (9); Ivan Klasnic (17); Ivica Olic (18); Bosko Balaban (21); Ivan Bosnjak (22)