While soccer still is building its fan base in the United States, it long has been the most popular sport in the world. Beginning Wednesday, teams from 32 nations will compete for the most coveted trophy in sports as World Cup ’98 begins in France. Tribune reporters Bonnie DeSimone and Philip Hersh previrew the action
GROUP A
BRAZIL
Coach: Mario Zagallo
Key players: F Ronaldo, M Dunga, G Taffarel
Previous World Cups: Played in all 15
Best finishes: Champion in 1958, 1962, 1970 and 1994
1988 Outlook: As always, the defending champions are the most talented team in the tournament, even with the loss to injury of 1994 leading scorer Romario. His absence puts more pressure on Ronaldo, considered the world’s top player. Despite Brazil’s tradition of beautiful offensive play, its defense won the Cup four years ago.
MOROCCO:
Coach: Henri Michel
Key players: M Mustapha Hadji, F Salaheddine Bassir
Previous World Cups: 1970, 1986, 1994
Best finish: Second round in 1986
1998 Outlook: Being something of a local favorite could help. Several Moroccans have played in the French league, and there is a large Moroccan community in France. Michel, a Frenchman, coached France to an Olympic gold medal in 1984.
NORWAY
Coach: Egil Olsen
Key players: M Oyvild Leonhardsen, F Torstein Flo
Previous World Cups: 1938, 1994
Best finishes: 1-1-1 record in 1994 did not make second round.
1998 Outlook: Norway will go with the Flo–forward Torstein; his brother, midfielder Jostein, and their rarely used cousin, forward Havard. Olsen, a fanatic about computer analysis of his sport, has revitalized the national team in the past eight years. Norway dominated its qualifying group with 6-0-2 record, allowing just two goals.
SCOTLAND
Coach: Craig Brown
Key players: M John Collins, G Jim Leighton
Previous World Cups: 1954, 1958, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990
Best finish: Never made second round, despite 1-0-2 record in 1974 first round.
Outlook: Scots are like a homecoming opponent–great fans, mediocre team. They will sit back on defense and wait for mistakes. Allowed just three goals in 10 qualifying matches. Keeper Jim Leighton, 39, is in his fourth World Cup. Forward Kevin Gallacher scored six goals in Scots’ last six qualifiers.
GROUP B
AUSTRIA
Coach: Herbert Prohaska
Key players: F Toni Polster, M Andreas Herzog
Previous World Cups: 1934, 1954, 1958, 1978, 1982, 1990
Best finish: third in 1954
1998 Outlook: After failing to make the 1994 World Cup and 1996 European Championship finals, Austria qualified with ease for this World Cup. Prolific and controversial scorer Polster–he holds the national team scoring record–wants to make up for his poor Cup showing in 1990.
CAMEROON
Coach: Claude LeRoy
Key players: D Rigobert Song, F Alphonse Tchami
Previous World Cups: 1982, 1990, 1994
Best finish: Quarterfinalist in 1990.
1998 Outlook: The Indomitable Lions have become toothless after their Cinderella run in 1990. The internal problems of the Cameroon soccer federation have torn apart a program that dominated African football for a decade. Last-gasp attempt at glory was the March rehiring of LeRoy, who coached Cameroon to the 1988 African championship.
CHILE
Coach: Nelson Acosta
Key players: M Marcelo Vega, F Marcelo Salas
Previous World Cups: 1930, 1950, 1962, 1966, 1974, 1982
Best finish: Third place, 1962
1998 Outlook: Banned from the 1994 World Cup qualifying after its goalie faked an injury in the 1990 qualifying, the Chileans return to the World Cup as a reinvented nation since their last appearance–from dictatorship to democracy. Chile has not won a finals match (0-6-3) since it was host in 1962.
ITALY
Coach: Cesare Maldini
Key players: D Paolo Maldini, F Alessandro Del Piero
Previous World Cups: All but 1930 and 1958
Best finish: Champion in 1934, 1938, 1982
1998 Outlook: Italy has changed coach and tactics since losing to Brazil in the 1994 championship match. Coach Maldini has returned to the defensive emphasis that made Italy champion in 1982. He can count on his son, Paolo, to anchor the defense. Team struggled to qualify.
GROUP C
DENMARK
Coach: Bo Johansson
Key players: G Peter Schmeichel, F Brian Laudrup
Previous World Cups: 1986 (second round)
1998 Outlook: After going from a last-minute replacement for then-banned Yugoslavia to European champion in 1992, the Danes have been erratic. Johansson took over after a poor showing at the 1996 Euros. Schmeichel, 34, may be the world’s best goalie. Laudrup and brother Michael, a midfielder, have been mainstays for a decade.
FRANCE
Coach: Aime Jacquet
Key players: D Marcel Desailly, M Zinedine Zidane
Previous World Cups: 1930, 1934, 1938, 1954, 1958, 1966, 1978, 1982, 1986.
Best finish: third in 1986.
1998 Outlook: The country that invented the World Cup had the embarrassment of failing to qualify for the past two, thanks to the French proclivity for choking under pressure. The team bombed in the 1996 Euro Championships after utterly dominating the qualifying. Playmaker Zidane is critical to France’s hopes for flopping on home turf.
Saudi Arabia
Coach: Carlos Alberto Parreira
Key players: G Mohammed Al-Deayea, F Saeed Al-Owairan
Previous World Cups: 1994 (second round).
1998 Outlook: The Saudis stunned the soccer world by making the second round in their World Cup debut, making them only the second Asian team (after North Korea in 1966) to get that far. Parreira coached Brazil to the 1994 title and took other Arab teams to the World Cup–the United Arab Emirates in 1990 and Kuwait in 1982.
SOUTH AFRICA
Coach: Philippe Troussier
Key players: F Benedict McCarthy, M John “Shoes” Moshoeu
Previous World Cups: first appearance
1998 Outlook: South Africa’s landmark African title in 1996 and World Cup qualification in 1997 has been followed by chaos, with Frenchman Troussier the third coach in the past seven months. The South Africa-France opener July 12 in Marseille will be a critical match for both teams.
GROUP D
BULGARIA
Coach: Hristo Bonev
Key players: F Hristo Stoichkov, D Trifon Ivanov
Previous World Cups: 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1986, 1994
Best finish: Fourth in 1994
1998 Outlook: After going winless in its first five World Cups (0-10-6), Bulgaria stunned Germany in the 1994 quarterfinals. The temperamental Stoichkov, who tied for scoring honors (6) at the 1994 World Cup, must regain fitness after being dropped by FC Barcelona in March.
NIGERIA
Coach: Bora Milutinovic
Key players: F Nwanku Kanu, M Finidi George
Previous World Cups: 1994 (second round)
1998 Outlook: Nigeria’s victory at the 1996 Olympics, first by an African nation, raised expectations to immoderate heights in a country where soccer, like everything else, is caught in a tangled web of political intrigue. Milutinovic, who coached the U.S. in 1994, was brought in after the qualifying to harden the team’s defensive posture.
PARAGUAY
Coach: Paulo Cesar Carpegiani
Key players: G Jose Luis Chilavert, D Carlos Gamarra
Previous World Cups: 1930, 1950, 1958, 1986
Best finish: second round in 1986.
1998 outlook: A feud between Chilavert and Carpegiani, a Brazilian, undermined the team through the first four months of 1998. Chilavert not only is the team’s goalie but its most dangerous free-kick and penalty-kick specialist. Paraguay is 0-4-4 in its last eight exhibition matches.
SPAIN
Coach: Javier Clemente
Key players: D Fernando Hierro, F Raul Gonzalez
Previous World Cups: 1934, 1950, 1962, 1966, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994.
Best finish: Fourth in 1950
1998 outlook: One of the world’s presumed soccer powers, based on its strong national league, Spain always has been a World Cup disappointment. Even as host in 1982, the Spaniards could not get to the quarterfinals, and they have gone that far only twice in their past seven appearances. Oft-injured young star Gonzalez, 20, hopes to regain his form for this tournament.
GROUP E
BELGIUM
Coach: Georges Leekens
Key players: M Enzo Scifo, M Luis Olivera
Previous World Cups: 1930, 1934, 1938, 1954, 1970, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994
Best finish: Semifinals (1986)
1998 outlook: This decidedly second-tier European team should eke its way out of the first round but won’t get much further. Belgium will profit from an adrenalizing kick-off match with Holland — assuming it isn’t spoiled by hooligan shenanigans — but its “Red Devils” attack could be counterbalanced by a less than demonic defense.
HOLLAND
Coach: Guus Hiddink
Key players: F Dennis Bergkamp, F Patrick Kluivert
Previous World Cups: 1934, 1938, 1974, 1978, 1990, 1994
Best finish: Runner-up (1974, 1978)
1998 outlook: It’s unlikely that any team is hungrier than the Dutch, who never quite seem to find the magic combination of talent, discipline and luck. Bergkamp is gimpy, and he is literally irreplaceable. If they can solve their problems on attack, Holland could — as usual — be one of the biggest speed bumps for any team lusting after the title.
MEXICO
Coach: Manuel Lapuente
Key players: G Jorge Campos, D Pavel Pardo
Previous World Cups: 1930, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1978, 1986, 1994
Best finish: Quarterfinals (1970, 1986)
1998 outlook: The Tricolores don’t travel well. They’ve never won a World Cup match in Europe, and the only times they advanced past the second round were in tournaments they hosted. The team hasn’t done much to dent its passionate fans’ justifiable skepticism. The carousel of fortune that recently picked up Campos and dumped Carlos Hermosillo will probably spin this team off into oblivion again.
SOUTH KOREA
Coach: Cha Bum-kun
Key players: G Kim Byung-Ji, M Yoo Sang-Chul
Previous World Cups: 1954, 1986, 1990, 1994
Best finish: First round
1998 outlook: The good news: South Korea can credibly lay claim to being the regional power in Asia. The bad news: it isn’t much of a region. Still, this hard-working team could be entertaining on its way to a certain early exit. Less amusing are the still-unbuilt stadiums where World Cup 2002 is supposed to be contested.
GROUP F
GERMANY
Coach: Hans-Hubert “Bertie” Vogts
Key players: F Jurgen Klinsmann, D Lothar Matthaeus
Previous World Cups: 1934, 1938, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994.
Best finish: Champion (1954, 1974, 1990)
1998 outlook: Notoriously slow starters, the Germans will be feeling extra pressure due to their premature quarterfinals exit in ’94. Injuries to starting and backup sweepers forced Vogts to call in Matthaeus, who insists his feud with Klinsmann is history. Must crush the U.S. in the opener to satisfy their voracious fans. A candidate for the trophy.
IRAN
Coach: Jalal Talebi
Key players: F Ali Daei, M Karim Bagheri
Previous World Cups: 1978
Best finish: First round (1978)
1998 outlook: Emotion will not be enough grout to plug this team’s considerable gaps nor smooth over the recent turmoil that resulted in Talebi’s appointment as the country’s third coach of the last two years. Iran’s goal is to look halfway respectable in one of the tournament’s toughest groups.
UNITED STATES
Coach: Steve Sampson
Key players: G Kasey Keller, M Claudio Reyna
Previous World Cups: 1930, 1934, 1950, 1990, 1994
Best finish: Semifinals (1930)
1998 outlook: Could go either way: sublime surprise or theater of the absurd. Sampson is counting on several players largely untested at the international level in the midfield. This team tends to play up for the titans and down to supposed patsies; a good result against Germany could be undermined by a letdown against Iran, for example. But the team is capable of going on a roll.
YUGOSLAVIA
Coach: Slobodan Santrac
Key players: F Predrag Mijatovic, D Dejan Savicevic
Previous World Cups: 1930, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1974, 1982, 1990
Best finish: Semifinals (1930, 1962)
1998 outlook: Fast but not loose, the Yugoslavs play with great individual flair and are as dangerous as a cobra coiled in a basket. Santrac’s selections veer toward the defensive — a sign that the team isn’t taking second place in the group for granted and wants to shut down the U.S. and Iran.
GROUP G
COLOMBIA
Coach: Hernan Dario Gomez
Key players: M Carlos Valderrama, F Faustino Asprilla
Previous World Cups: 1962, 1990, 1994
Best finish: Second round (1990)
1998 outlook: Aging but still dangerous, the offense-minded Colombians should be competitive with Romania and England. They may not advance but could contribute to the highlight reel.
ENGLAND
Coach: Glenn Hoddle
Key players: M Paul Ince, F Michael Owen
Previous World Cups: 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1982, 1986, 1990
Best finish: Champion (1966)
1998 outlook: Hoddle’s last-minute dumping of tabloid darling Paul Gascoigne may have deprived the World Cup of its best soap opera subplot. But England’s hard-hats can win without him and, with a break or two, could make it all the way to the finals.
ROMANIA
Coach: Anghel Iordanescu
Key players: M Gheorghe Hagi, M Gheorge Popescu
Previous World Cups: 1930, 1934, 1938, 1970, 1990, 1994
Best finish: Quarterfinals (1994)
1998 outlook: Romania has a veteran side of players with top club pedigrees who will be motivated by what is sure to be a last hurrah. Solid on every part of the field, the team will still have to play its best to survive the first round.
TUNISIA
Coach: Henry Kasperczak
Key players: M Medhi Ben Slimane, F Adel Sellimi
Previous World Cups: 1978
Best finish: First round (1978)
1998 outlook: Tunisia is more than a just-happy-to-be-here team, with a number of talented players seasoned by club duty in France and Germany. But it has performed erratically and the toughness and experience of its opponents will be too much for this young squad.
GROUP H
ARGENTINA
Coach: Daniel Passarella
Key players: M Diego Simeone, F Gabriel Batistuta
Previous World Cups: 1930, 1934, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994
Best finish: Champion (1986)
1998 outlook: Many prognosticators are picking Argentina, a vintage car stripped of its funky hood ornament, to win it all. The team is without the troubled Diego Maradona for the first time in 20 years, but it has more than enough talent and even another source of conflict — the feud between Batistuta and Passarella — to compensate. Has an easy draw on paper, although Croatia is no typical rookie.
CROATIA
Coach: Miroslav Blazevic
Key players: M Robert Prosinecki, F Davor Suker
Previous World Cups: First appearance
1998 outlook: Balkan soccer enthusiasts, no matter what their politics, may forever rue the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. Some of the talent developed there constitutes the heart of the Croatian squad. This team should cruise into the second round only to encounter a giant iceberg in the form of England or Romania.
JAMAICA
Coach: Rene Simoes
Key players: F Deon Burton, M Robbie Earle
Previous World Cups: First appearance
1998 outlook: Despite Simoes’ ardent tactical tutoring and the importation of several British-bred players, Jamaica has a tendency toward calamitous lapses. The team and its fans, however, should give Brazil a serious challenge in the Most-Fun-To-Watch voting.
JAPAN
Coach: Takeshi Okada
Key players: M Hidetoshi Nakata, F Wagner Lopes
Previous World Cups: First appearance
1998 outlook: The 2002 co-hosts nearly didn’t make it to France and will have trouble scratching out a point even in this mixed group. Aside from Lopes, a naturalized Brazilian, none of the players have any significant foreign club experience, and the five-year-old J-League is not at the point where it can deliver the goods.
