Brazil switch begs questions

Luiz Felipe Scolari will lead Brazil in his home town

Brazil host Paraguay in a vital World Cup qualifier on Wednesday.

Anything less than a win against the resilient Paraguayans would raise the real possibility of Brazil failing to make it to the World Cup for the first time.

And in their desperation to win, Brazil are bending the rules.

The match should be in Rio de Janeiro, in the Maracanã stadium, but Brazil have managed to switch venues to Porto Alegre, the home state of coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

In theory, such a switch is not possible.

Eight years ago, Brazil were having problems qualifying for USA 94, and two of their opponents were hosting their home games at altitude.

Brazil applied pressure to try to switch the matches to sea level.

In the case of Ecuador they were successful - the match was played in Guayaquil instead of Quito, and Brazil came away with a 0-0 draw.

Romario - shock exclusion

In the case of Bolivia, Brazil were unsuccessful; the match went ahead at the extreme altitude of La Paz, and Brazil lost 2-0.

Brazil's scheming left a bad taste. Before the current campaign, the South American Federation moved to ensure there could be no repeat.

This time the countries were limited to one host city. So if Ecuador chose Quito, all their home games would be in Quito.

Two countries were allowed to elect two cities; Venezuela, in order to develop the game, and Brazil, on account of its size.

Brazil nominated Rio and São Paulo, almost certainly on the basis that since these are the destinations of most international flights, it would be easier for their European-based players to get back.

The country's two major cities, Rio and São Paulo also form the traditional heartland of Brazilian football.

The fans grew up on the likes of Pelé and Garrincha, and are very quick to let the team know if they fall short of the standard expected.

The crowd have been particularly vicious during the current campaign.

Following his last game in São Paulo, Rivaldo flirted with the idea of retiring from international football when he was singled out for 45 minutes of abuse.

Rivaldo - rough treatment

After the first game in the Maracanã, a 1-1 draw with Uruguay, then-coach Luxemburgo announced in the press conference that the players had pleaded with him not to play there any more.

The rules had to be obeyed, he told them. There was no way out.

Until now.

Much of the country, including Rio and São Paulo, is suffering from an energy crisis.

The Brazilian FA used this as the justification to move the Paraguay game to the South, which so far has not been affected by the crisis.

But it is nothing other than a cynical ruse.

There is no reason that the match could not go ahead in Rio as scheduled.

The Maracanã has a generator, and is currently staging night games in the Brazilian Championship.

The game could even be played in the afternoon, with no need for floodlights.

But the real reason for the switch has nothing to do with the energy crisis, and everything to do with the fact that Brazil are running scared of their own fans.

In Porto Alegre, the backyard of coach Scolari, there is the hope that the crowd might be more patient. Some local favourites have been drafted in to keep the terraces happy.

Romário has been dropped - which the press and public in Rio would not have let Scolari get away with.

The sad thing is that the South American Federation have let Brazil get away with such a blatant stroke of gamesmanship.

But South America has a long history of ripping up its rules to benefit the powerful.