Slackened `Samba Soccer`

``Myth is collapsing.``

With the embellishment of `the world`s strongest team`, four-time World Cup champion, Brazil is the only country that never missed the final round from the 1st Uruguay World Cup in 1930 to the 16th France World Cup in 1998.

However, the glittering myth of Brazil is falling down in the qualifiers of the 2002 World Cup.

Defeated 1-2 by its great rival Argentina in the South American qualifier at Buenos Aires, Argentina, Brazil barely secured the fourth place, Maginot line for the final round.

Brazil recorded 7 wins 3 draws and 5 losses (24 points), staying ahead of Uruguay on goal difference. Thus, Brazil faces the adverse situation, which cannot guarantee the advancement to the final round.

Brazil is being chased by the 6th place Colombia (4 points behind) as well as the 5th place Uruguay. Therefore, in order to secure the final round berth, Brazil has to fight with all its might in the remaining games with Chile, Bolivia, and Venezuela, calling up `a new soccer Emperor`, Ronald who recently returned to the scene.

Despite Brazil sent the world`s best star players such as Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, and Cafu, it suffered a come-from-behind defeat by Argentina for which Ortega, Crespo, Lopez, and Aimar took up the positions.

Brazil had led the game in the second minute of first half, as Argentine defender Ayala leapt for Carlos`s throw-in and only succeeded in turning the ball past his own keeper.

But supported by the enthusiastic cheers of 50,000 home fans, Argentina tied on Marcelo Gallardo`s header off a pass from Ariel Ortega in the 32nd minute of the second half, and then went ahead on the own goal by Brazilian defender Cris 8 minutes later. With the victory, Argentina took revenge on the 1-3 defeat last year.

In European qualifying, Sweden and Spain clinched berths in next year`s tournament, and `the Orange Troops` Holland was left out for the first time in the past 16 years.

In group 4, Sweden defeated Turkey 2-1, thanks to the goals from Henrik Larsson and Andreas Andersson. Recording 7 wins and 2 draws (23 points), Sweden assured a berth irrespective of the result in a remaining game. Sweden appears on the World Cup final round in 8 years since the US World Cup in 1994.

Spain (6-0-2, and 20 points) won 2-0 at Liechtenstein on goals by Raul Gonzalez and Fernando Hierro to clinch Group Seven. This is its 7th consecutive appearance in the World Cup since the Argentina World Cup in 1978.

England (5-1-1, 16 points), coming off its historic 5-1 win last weekend in Germany, moved into the Group Nine lead on goal difference by beating Albania 2-0 on goals by Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler.

Portugal won 3-1 over Cyprus, and recorded 6 wins and 3 draws (21 points) to lead the group 2. By the victory of the Portuguese, the Netherlands (5-2-2, and 17 points) was eliminated despite a 5-0 win over Estonia (2-5-2) at home, ranked in the third place following Portugal and Ireland (21 points).

The Netherlands had to taste the bitters again in 16 years since when they consecutively failed to advance to the World Cup in 1982 and 1986.

Meanwhile, Costa Rica (6-1-1, and 19 points) clinched the thirteenth berth in the North and Central American and Caribbean region when it defeated United States 2-0, regardless of the results in the two remaining games.

Kwon Soon-Il stt77@donga.com