Even Brazil Has Case Of Nerves

Even as favorites, players on an experienced Brazilian team confess feeling a bit of nervous anticipation -- this is, after all, the World Cup.

“Our biggest worry for the first match will be the anxiety,” defender Roberto Carlos said Wednesday. “We’ll need to find ways to control it.”

Roberto Carlos will play in his third World Cup when Brazil begins its quest for a record sixth title Tuesday against Croatia before playing Australia and Japan.

Brazil arrived in Germany on Sunday, and has been training in the small town of Koenigstein, in the wooded Taunus hills outside Frankfurt. The defending champion spent 14 days in Switzerland before heading to Germany.

“We’ve been waiting four years for this,” said defender Lucio, a 2002 World Cup veteran. “There is a lot of anxiety, I’m sure everyone here is feeling it.”

Even Brazil’s veteran coach Carlos Alberto Parreira acknowledged first-match jitters.

“I would be lying if I said I’m not anxious,” said Parreira, 63, who led Brazil to the 1994 title in the United States. “We sleep a little less, eat a little less ... but it’s part of it, and I think it’s good.”

One of Parreira’s players in 1994 was defender Cafu, the current captain.

“I can’t wait to get on the field,” Cafu said last week. “There’s a lot of expectation.”

Cafu, who just turned 36 and has played a record 146 games for his country according to the Brazilian soccer federation, has said that the thought of lifting the World Cup trophy again has crossed his mind.

Among Brazil’s starters, only defender Juan and striker Adriano will be playing their first World Cup. On the team’s 23-man roster, nine players are World Cup first timers, including Real Madrid’s Robinho.

“We want the tournament to start, we want to begin playing,” the 22-year-old striker said.