As reigning World Cup Champion, exempted from the need to qualify Offense Defense Organization Experience Talent Capacity to surprise	Brazil won the last World Cup and is without rivals as the strongest soccer team in the world. As always, it is at the top of the list of candidates for the championship. Among Brazil's many strengths, one that bears particular attention are the terrifying two tops Romario and Ronaldo, known as the Ro-Ro combination. Ronaldo is currently recognized by everyone as the top striker in the world and Romario was the MVP in the last World Cup. Romario has gone downhill somewhat, but he is still a top player with a rare goal-getting sense. If these two tops function as expected, the chances of Brazil winning its second consecutive World Cup rise significantly. On the other hand, with the increased stability of the center combination of J. Baiano and Aldair, Brazil's defense, which had been its greatest problem, is coming into some sort of shape, even if it is still hardly perfect. The sides of cafu and R. Carlos are solid and there is no problem there. However, the middle, which had been thought to have a wealth of talent, is becoming the greatest problem. For boranchi, the captain Donga is set and for the other position, Cesar Sampaio has just about secured the spot as a regular in place of F. Conceicao, who lacks stability on defense. For the other two positions, Denilson is set for one position and Rivaldo is the most likely replacement for the injured Leonardo. The injured Juninho is also aiming to steal back a position. The decision-making capability and leadership of technical coordinator Zico and the battle-hardened leader Zagallo bear watching. *CONFEDERACAO BRASILEIRA DE FUTEBOL. [Address] Rua de Alfandega, 70, P.O.BOX 1078 CEP 20070-001 Rio de Janeiro [Established] 1916 *16th World Cup (1930, 1934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998) 4 championships (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994)	Cesar SAMPAIRO * Midfielder Sampairo is a presence worth watching who has secured the position as the regular volante and holds the key to the unstable defensive side. The key to Brazil winning the championship is whether or not it can stabilize its defense, which has been considered its weak point. In this sense, the volante is critical and this makes it a critical key whether or not Sampairo, who has grabbed the seat as the regular at this position next to Dunga, performs well. Since around the 1997 Confederation Cup, Sampairo moved up from being the all-around sub and with such plays as scoring the lead goal in the friendly match against Germany, Sampairo has completely seized the position from F. Conceicao. Sampairo is a presence that bears watching. He has a top reputation for marking and covering, making him ideal for stabilizing the defense. As such, the coach is expecting much from him. Mario ZAGALLO During his playing days, Zagallo experienced the World Cup Championships of 1958 and 1962. In 1970, at the tender age of 39, he took command and had the honor of winning the World Cup. Zagallo is one of the top coaches in the world. At the previous World Cup in 1994, he assisted coach Parreira as the technical director, so Zagallo is the only person to take part in four World Cup championships. In particular, in handling the players, he emphasizes the rules even above skill and handles the wealth of talented players within those rules. This time, he is aiming for an unprecedented 5th World Cup championship.