Quest for Hexa starts

Brazil launch their bid for a record sixth World Cup title when they face Croatia on Tuesday in the Berlin stadium where they aim to return in four weeks' time to lift the trophy.

The nucleus of the side which triumphed in Japan in 2002 is back, while Kaka has replaced Rivaldo alongside Ronaldo and Ronaldinho in the most potent attacking trio in world football.

But Kaka cautioned that the other contenders for the crown were trying to put pressure on the Brazilians by hanging the favourites' label around their necks.

"It is always the same. Brazil will win it. Brazil are the favourites," the AC Milan midfielder said.

"But this talk of us being clear favourites is a bit exaggerated.

"There is a strategy behind it. The other teams want to take the attention and the pressure off themselves."

With World Player of the Year Ronaldinho supplying the ammunition for Ronaldo and the bullish Adriano, everyone is saying Brazil will steamroller opponents, but Kaka is cautious.

"The system we play is very offensive and that means we have a special responsibility not to get caught out with goals on the counter-attack.

"It is a risky formation as we are open to conceding goals. We need to make sure we get the right balance," he said.

A relaxed buildup to the tournament was disturbed when Ronaldo -- who has fought a battle with his weight for much of his career - took offence when he was questioned about his waistline by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Lula swiftly reaffirmed his "affection" for the player, but the question would not go away.

"I only want respect," Ronaldo said, whose training has been hampered by blisters.

Even former Brazil great Tostao opined that the great man is currently "an unknown quantity".

"I only want respect," Ronaldo said Saturday - and a goal against Croatia would doubtless mean all would be well with his world again, blisters or no blisters.

Ronaldo aside, another man who cannot be overlooked in a side bursting with creativity is world player of the year Ronaldinho, who has fulfilled in spades the potential he showed back in Asia when he played his part in the road to victory in Yokahama.

The 26-year-old from Porto Alegre has turned football into the highest art with his showings this season which carried Barcelona to the Champions League title as well as the Spanish championship for a second straight season.

But the Real Madrid striker who was mysteriously below-par in the 1998 final but bounced back with both goals in the 2002 climax against Germany has his eyes on a record.

Just three goals in this tournament would see him overtake West Germany's Gerd Muller, who notched 14, as the all-time leading scorer in the World Cup.

If Ronaldo's influence has faded, Ronaldinho has become the undisputed king of the side.

The 26-year-old from Porto Alegre carried Barcelona to the Champions League title as well as the Spanish championship for a second straight season.

The old man of the team, 36-year-old Cafu, has seen it all before and stressed that Brazil were not expecting an easy ride.

"All the teams at this World Cup are going to have problems winning and our first match will be tough.

"Everyone says we will reach the final but we need to take every opponent as they come.

"And we know the whole world will be looking at this match to see what sort of shape we are in."

But Cafu added that "tradition was important" when it came to winning World Cups - and no nation has won the title as many times as Brazil.

Brazil are alone in appearing in every World Cup and after wins in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002 and runner-up finishes in 1950 and 1998 their pedigree is unmatched, making them 9/4 favourites.

The Croatians, semi-finalists in France in 1998, will not be there just to make up the numbers.

The Croatians will not arrive as lambs to the slaughter but they have been battling a mysterious virus since arriving in Germany last week.

Doctors could not determine the cause of the infection which had stricken stars including Darijo Simic, Ivica Olic, Bosko Balaban, Dado Prso, Stjepan Tomas, Anthony Seric and Joseph Didulica, although most have recovered and will play.

Teams

Brazil (4-4-2)
1-Dida; 2-Cafu, 3-Lucio, 4-Juan, 6-Roberto Carlos; 5-Emerson, 11-Ze Roberto, 8-Kaka, 10-Ronaldinho; 9-Ronaldo, 7-Adriano

Croatia (3-4-1-2)
1-Stipe Pletikosa; 7-Dario Simic, 4-Robert Kovac, 3-Josep Simunic; 2-Darijo Srna, 5-Igor Tudor, 10-Niko Kovac, 8-Marko Babic; 19-Niko Kranjcar; 17-Ivan Klasnic, 9-Dado Prso.