Soccer: How time can turn the tables

TOKYO - Nine months ago, any thoughts Brazil and Germany were having about the World Cup did not involve a possible meeting in the final, but whether they would even qualify.

In the space of five days in September Germany suffered their worst qualifying result when they lost 5-1 at home to England and Brazil went down 2-1 to arch-rivals Argentina.

With only a few qualifying games remaining, the two most consistent countries in World Cup history were both in real danger of missing out.

The idea of their absence from the finals seemed inconceivable.

Brazil are the only team to have played in every tournament since the first, in 1930.

Germany's only absences came in 1930, when they opted not to take part, and 1950, when they were banned by Fifa.

However, it looked even more ominous for Brazil when they suffered a humiliating defeat in November, 3-1 to Bolivia.

It meant they had lost six qualifying matches, after losing just one in all their previous campaigns put together. And only Colombia's slump kept them in the fight.

They eventually secured their place in the finals with a 3-0 win over Venezuela in their final game, finishing just three points ahead of the non-qualifying Colombians.

The feeble campaign was accompanied by stunning defeats by South Korea, Australia and Honduras, and it would have been a long search to find anyone suggesting the South Americans would be on the brink of a fifth world title a few months later.

On the other side of the world, Germany were in similar disarray.

Following their first-round elimination from the 2000 European championship, the loss to England rocked what had until then been a solid World Cup qualifying campaign.

A failure to beat Finland in their final game condemned them to a playoff against Ukraine, a match described by coach Rudi Voeller as the most tense he had been involved with in his playing and managerial career.

It proved the turning point for his previously ridiculed team as they secured a 1-1 draw in Kiev and impressively won the return 4-1 to take their place in the finals.

The bookmakers remained unimpressed by either country, however, with Germany attracting their longest odds for years at 14-1 and perennial favourites Brazil ranked behind France, Argentina and Italy.

Franz Beckenbauer, who won the cup as a player and coach, said it was the first time Germany had sent a team to the tournament with no chance of winning it.

Brazil's three-time winner Pele predicted his countrymen would struggle to reach the semifinals.

But as the favourites fell, Brazil and Germany went about their work in a businesslike manner.

Both have developed a real team spirit, the players saying their qualifying problems helped them to bond, and despite one or two scares they have arrived in the final relatively untroubled.

Voeller and Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari handled the constant criticism with dignity and have developed a mutual respect after resurrecting their countries' chances.

Scolari said after yesterday's 1-0 semifinal victory over Turkey that he was looking forward to reacquainting himself with his opposite number in far more favourable circumstances than when they last met, at the World Cup draw last December.

"When we met at the draw, we both had the rope around our necks," said the man known as "Big Phil."

"We both had difficulty qualifying and both reached the finals at the last moment. We hugged each other and told each other that maybe we would meet in the final.

"I am sure we will hug each other again then."

- REUTERS

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