Brazil, France face contrasting challenges

BERLIN, June 18 (Reuters) Brazil and France, winners of the last three World Cups, face contrasting challenges when they make their second appearances at these finals today.

Brazil entered the tournament as clear favourites but that mantle passed on Friday to Argentina, whose scintillating 6-0 drubbing of Serbia&Montenegro had soccer fans and experts drooling.

The Brazilians, champions in 1994 and 2002, had launched their title defence earlier in the week with a laboured 1-0 win over Croatia, a performance reminiscent of several past Argentina displays.

If Brazil are to compete with their South American neighbours in the later stages, they need to show they can step up a couple of gears, starting with today's Group F match against Australia in Munich.

Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has already warned his team not to try to match the tough-tackling Australian style, seen to best effect in their opening 3-1 win over Japan.

''Australia are a very physical team but we are not going to fight with them,'' he said. ''Our business is to play football, put the ball on the ground and impose our style and technique.'' France were champions in 1998, beating Brazil 3-0 in the final, but have not scored a single goal in the finals since and could equal Bolivia's unenviable record of five games in a row with no goals to show if they fail to net against South Korea in Leipzig.

South Korea are no pushovers, having reached the semi-finals of the 2002 tournament they co-hosted with Japan and having launched their campaign in Germany with a 2-1 win over Togo in Group G.

COAX GOALS France looked lacklustre in their 0-0 draw with Switzerland and coach Raymond Domenech knows he must somehow coax goals out of his team if they are to avoid a second embarrassing early elimination.

He is expected to bring in Louis Saha to partner Thierry Henry up front.

In the only other fixture of the day, Croatia meet Japan in Group F in Nuremberg. Both sides are aware the losers will almost certainly not make it into the last 16.

REUTERS AY VC1237