Brazilian manager told: change team or else

Press, 9 June 1978, Page 24

Brazilian manager told: change team or else

NZPA-Reuter Buenos Aires Brazilian sports authorities yesterday took charge of the country’s World Cup soccer squad and warned that the manager, Mr Claudio Coutinho, must either accept changes in the team or resign.

Mr Mario Trigo, spokes- i man for the Brazilian Sports Confederation, announced that four players would be replaced immediately. He •aid that M. Coutinho could accept the situation or reMr Tngo said that four first-team players, Zico — known as the “white Pele’’ — the ace striker Rein aldo, attacking left back Edinho •nd sweeper Cerezo would be replaced by Jorge Mendonca; Roberto, Rodrigues Neto, and Chicao. The team has only produced two draws in the World Cup so far. Brazil faces the distinct possibility of elimination from this year’s finals. The I team waiting to upset the Brazilians is Austria, which eame to Argentina a longshot outsider but has al- ; ready booked its passage Into the second round. The chance that Brazil, the only country to win soc-l ter's greatest prize three I times, might not make it to] the last eight, became a reality when they trundled: to a goalless draw yesterday •gainst Spain. Now it must: face Austria on Monday ! fNX. time) knowing that 1 defeat will almost certainly; put it out of the competition i ind that even another drawnay not be enough to save I Sweden and Spam meet ini the other group three match! »n Monday and there are'

any number of mathematical permutations which could! keep Brazil alive. But thei fact remains that Brazil is i only banging on by its fin-1

gertips when everyone ex-, pected it to stroll through' the first round. Against Spain, already I beaten by Austria, and in| the earlier 1-1 draw with; Sweden, Brazil played like a team relying on memories I rather than with any con-; fidence in its own ability. The Austrian manager, M. Helmut Senokowitsch, said i after his team’s 1-0 victory, over Sweden: “We will play ' against Brazil just the same a: we have played before.” Compact in defence, neat I in midfield and occasionally: explosive up front, Austria is in the sort of form which] ' could easily upset the Brazilians. !

But while Brazil struggles, I most of the other favourites! : have already booked their ' places in the next round. Argentina and Italy, who meet in the showdown group one match on Saturday, are already through. The reigning champion, West Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Peru are virtually assured of their berths. The Netherlands have been a shadow of the team which excited the football world in 1974 in their victory over Iran and goalless draw yesterday with Peru. Little has been seen of the flowing “total football” which the Dutch pioneered, but the crucial difference between ndw and four years ago is that the superstar i Johan Cruyff is no longer in jthe team. i For Scotland, the tournament has been an unmitigated disaster and even its 'faithful fans turned against them last night, shouting '"what a load of rubbish” j after the 1-1 draw against Iran. Theoretically, Scotland can i still qualify by scoring a three-goal victory over the Netherlands on Monday. But the Scottish manager, Mr Ally MacLeod, summed up the feelings in his dispirited camp by saying: “It’s like j clutching at straws. At the i moment it doesn’t look very likely, but miracles do hap!pen."