Wet start to Brazil build-up

Brian Homewood

Brazil's preparations for their last two World Cup qualifying games got off to a wet and miserable start on Sunday when only 10 players turned up and training was then called off due to fog and rain.

The four times World champions have still to make sure of a place in Japan and South Korea after a jittery qualifying campaign. With Uruguay breathing down their necks, they may need to win their last two games to maintain their proud record of having played at every World Cup.

Brazil travel to La Paz, at 3,600 metres above sea level, to face Bolivia on Wednesday and are at home to Venezuela one week later in the tropical city of Sao Luis.

Despite a fruitless day at the team's training camp in the mountain resort of Teresopolis, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari refused to be down-hearted.

"This can't be used as an excuse," said the man known as Big Phil.

"It's today's reality and we have to adapt. We will do some individual exercise, talk to the players and watch videos. In other words, we're going to make the most of what we've got."

Scolari had counted on having a full squad on Sunday thanks to FIFA regulations which force clubs to release their players for World Cup qualifiers five days in advance.

But FIFA changed their tune on Thursday when they ruled that European-based South American players could play for their clubs in this weekend's league matches.

FIFA said the new decision was because the dates of the last batch of South American World Cup qualifiers had only been confirmed a few days in advance, while European countries had organised their games months ahead.

The decision means that some of Brazil's players will have to fly from Europe after matches on Sunday night, join the squad in Brazil on Monday and travel again on Tuesday, this time to Bolivia.

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) attempted to have the match with Bolivia postponed until Thursday but other South American federations would not agree.

Scolari is now expected to have only one full practice with his players before Wednesday's game, one of the most important in Brazil's history.

The coach's problems increased on Sunday when veteran striker Romario, whom he controversially left out of the squad, hit two goals for Vasco da Gama in a Brazilian championship match to become the tournament's top scorer with 15.

Brazil have had trouble before with the weather at the state-of-the-art training camp, which lies in a region prone to rain, fog and mist.

Brazil are fourth in the South American group with 27 points, two more than fifth-placed Uruguay and six ahead of sixth-placed Colombia. All have two games to play.

The top four teams qualify directly for next year's World Cup finals and the fifth plays off against Oceania region winners Australia.