On a wing-back and a prayer

Brazil's defence will be there in body. Nick Townsend reports on the spirit

When Roberto Carlos spoke yesterday of the power of prayer in the Brazil dressing-room, the wing-back did not actually refer to his defensive colleague Lucio. However, it's a reasonable assumption that there are those among the centre-back's team-mates who will today seek some divine guidance for him. Lucio's ability to appear the epitome of composure or defensive misfit is utterly in the hand of the gods.

It was the towering performer, so commanding against Manchester United in the Champions' League last season, whose aberration let in Michael Owen and offered optimism briefly to the England camp nine days ago.

It was evident yesterday that Lucio regards his contest against his Bayer Leverkusen club-mate Oliver Neuville today with a similar degree of apprehension. Though the German forward may not compare with the Liverpool forward as a world-class international goalscorer – Neuville has scored three in 30 appearances – he is a man of a similar diminutive frame and it is unlikely that Lucio will appreciate the responsibility of negating his presence.

"I will have to pay a lot of attention to my team-mate Oliver Neuville," Lucio agreed yesterday. "He's very fast and technically good, and he [Neuville] says who is quickest will win the game, but we're very concentrated and focused. The key to the game will be for us to stop Germany getting in their crosses, not concede a goal and control the pace of the game."

Brazil are, understandably, extremely concerned with Germany's aerial strength, in the knowledge that Miroslav Klose has scored his five World Cup goals from headers. "We have to be careful because the Germans will play in their usual way, through the air and from set-pieces and free-kicks," Lucio added.

Apart from the lapses in the 5-3 victory over Costa Rica, Lucio and his fellow centre-backs Roque Junior and Edilson have yielded relatively few opportunities to the opposition, a feature that has not applied to all Brazil rearguards down through the ages.

"Now there is no time for mistakes," insisted the 24-year-old Lucio, formerly with his home city club Vasco da Gama who has been a regular presence in the Brazil team for the last two years. "We've been working hard to avoid them. It's the pinnacle of any player's career to reach the World Cup final. It's already a great victory just reaching the final but to win it is the ultimate. Our coach knows Germany and this is a game where one moment of brilliance can decide the result."

Lucio was also a club-mate of Michael Ballack, now heading to Bayern Munich, who is suspended from the final after receiving a caution for a cynical challenge against South Korea in Tuesday's semi-final. He believes the German playmaker's absence will be significant. "Germany will lose a lot of their quality as he is their most important player," said Lucio. "He is the one who plays very technically."

Both wing-backs, Roberto Carlos and Cafu, will be crucial to Brazil limiting supply to Klose, as well as providing width for their own attacking sorties. Their experience could prove vital, together with the threat from Roberto Carlos' venomous free-kicks.

But Roberto Carlos does not put everything down to fate. "I pray every day, and before the game we hug each other and everybody in the dressing-room prays aloud. We do the same afterwards," he said. "It's a ritual. But mostly I hope and pray that both teams play well. The pressure is not that much but being in the final demands responsibility. We're aware the world is watching."

He added, with a shrug: "If we lose I recover and carry on. Football's about defeats as well as victories. But we are so close to a victory and we have to do our utmost to bring it about. We know the whole of Brazil is with us."

Brazil expects much from him, but principally the nation anticipates that Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho will deliver. The latter missed the semi-final after being dismissed against England, but the sense of anticipation in the 22-year-old Paris St-Germain midfielder was clear. "It was my most nervous time in the World Cup as I suffered a lot," he reflected on his absence from the victory over Turkey. "The only way I could help my team-mates was by shouting at them and trying to help motivate them. But I don't owe anything to anyone. I just owe it to myself to do my best I can and a little bit more."

Ronaldo believes his young team-mate will achieve precisely that. "His return is a plus for us. We have been replacing him very well as we have a great bench, but it's good news that the Ro-Ri-Ro trio is now back in shape." Germany have been warned.