Carlos Rules Out France as a Favorite
What is the world to make of France’s startling 2-1 loss to Belgium on Saturday, the first home defeat in three years for the reigning World Cup and European champion?
A fluke, to be attributed mostly to the absence of star attackers Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry?
Or a sign that the World Cup holders are vulnerable as they prepare to defend the title they won at home four summers ago?
Brazil defender Roberto Carlos not only believes France is beatable this time around, but doesn’t even list the French among his top four favorites to win the trophy in Asia.
Carlos, perhaps still stinging from Brazil’s 3-0 loss to France in the 1998 World Cup final, told FIFAworldcup.com that Brazil should rate with Italy, England and Argentina as the teams most likely to contend for the 2002 championship.
France, Carlos said, is “not among the quartet of favorites this year. It’s my view that the Asian setting will be very different from that of the last World Cup.
“In 1998, France saw it as their absolute duty to win their first title. But it’s their only world title.... This time around, things will be a lot less straightforward for the French team.
“They will come up against teams who will be much more motivated to beat them because they are entering the tournament with the tag of hot favorites.
“They’re going to experience the kind of pressure Brazil have had to live with for decades, and commencing a World Cup campaign under such conditions is far from easy, I can assure you.”
Belgium defeated France in Paris on an injury-time goal by Marc Wilmots. France was playing at less than full strength, missing both midfielder Zidane, who was at home for the birth of his third child, and striker Henry, who was out because of a strained knee.
French midfielder Patrick Vieira said the loss “will perhaps bring us down to earth.... Don’t worry, we’ll be ready for May 31 [when France opens the tournament against Senegal]. We’re confident, we know what we’re capable of.”
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Sunday’s 2-0 loss to the Netherlands did little to buoy U.S. hopes as it prepares for its World Cup opener against Portugal, although in the interest of straw-grasping there is this: Portugal midfielder Luis Figo, the 2001 FIFA World player of the year, has been virtually ruled out of Saturday’s friendly match with China because of an ankle injury.
Hobbled by the injury, which he first sustained in February, Figo was ineffective in Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in last week’s European Champions League final and eventually had to be removed from the game.
Team doctors are considering holding Figo out of the China match as Portugal readies for its June 5 World Cup opener against the United States.
“I sincerely want to perform to the best of my ability at the World Cup without problem or pain,” Figo told reporters at the Portuguese team’s training camp in Macau. “Whatever I can do to help my team, I will do my best to do it.”
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Germany lost yet another key player Monday when the team announced playmaking midfielder Sebastian Deisler would miss the World Cup because of a knee injury sustained in Saturday’s 6-2 victory over Austria.
Deisler hurt his right knee during a first-half collision with Austria’s Rolf Landerl.
A scan taken Sunday indicated no torn ligaments, but a medical examination Monday showed that the injury was more severe than originally thought.
Deisler is the fourth potential World Cup starter Germany has lost to injury, joining defenders Christian Worns and Jens Nowotny and midfielder Mehmet Scholl.
South America
Fans of two Colombian soccer teams fought with guns and knives along a highway early Monday, killing two people and injuring 12 others.
Authorities said the melee took place before dawn near Medellin after a game Sunday between Medellin’s Atletico Nacional team and visiting America of Cali.
The fight broke out when buses carrying fans of both teams came to a halt at a narrow bridge in the town of Cisneros, about 30 miles from Medellin.
