Something8217;s wrong with Brazil

8220;Something is missing but we don8217;t know what,8221; manager Wanderley Luxemburgo said. 8220;Either we give a positive answer and show some competence, or we won8217;t be prepared to play in the World Cup.8221;

Almost everything seemed missing against Paraguay.

Against Paraguay the Brazilian defence again was a sieve, giving up a goal in the sixth minute when Carlos Humberto Paredes outjumped everyone in the penalty area for an indefensible header. The mid-field was slow and uninspired, as Luxemburgo again went with defensively minded Flavio Conceicao, Cesar Sampaio and Ze Roberto plus the individualistic Rivaldo.

The attack was simply inoperative. Franca, Guilherme, Marques and Djalminha 8212; the mid-fielder from Spanish champion Deportivo la Coruna improvised as a striker 8212; were equally ineffective. In five games, the front line is goalless.

Worse, the four-time World Cup champions looked flustered and had trouble getting the ball out of their own end. Captain Cafu, a veteran of two Cups, was justly expelled for a violent tackle, leaving Brazil with 10 players before the half.

8220;We were beaten, mainly, because we lost Cafu,8221; Luxemburg said.

Luxemburgo also could have blamed his untested defense of Edmilson and Roque Junior, starting because Antonio Carlos was out with a one-game suspension and Aldair was dismissed for poor play. Mid-fielder Emerson also was suspended, and injuries had sidelined striker Ronaldinho Gaucho 8212; as well as veterans Ronaldo, Romario and Amoroso.

Brazilians are unconvinced.

Shame!8217; Fiasco in Asuncion,8217; and Rope around our neck,8217; read headlines Wednesday in Rio newspapers.

O Globo called it the 8220;worst game of the tournament.8221;

Besides being Brazil8217;s first loss to Paraguay in World Cup qualifying it was only its second ever in qualifying. The other defeat was to Bolivia in 1993, when Brazil played in the thin air of 3,660-metre high La Paz.

The defeat left Brazil sharing the fourth place in the South American standings with eight points, four behind Argentina, two back on Uruguay and one behind Paraguay.

Only four South American teams are guaranteed a place in South Korea and Japan in 2002. A fifth must enter a two-leg playoff with the Oceania winner for another berth.

Luxemburgo has a week to get ready for his biggest challenge when Argentina comes to town. Although he said he was 100 per cent certain8221; that Brazil would qualify for the Cup, his team has done little to reassure fans.