Sports/Olympics / FIFA World Cup 2006

Legend status awaits any coach who wins
(AP)
Updated: 2006-06-02 09:52

A World Cup title can make a coach a legend. A loss can put him out of a job.

That's life at soccer's top level.


Sven-Goran Eriksson, coach of England.[filephoto]

At this year's World Cup, there are several men looking for their place in history, including Luiz Felipe Scolari, Guus Hiddink, Sven-Goran Eriksson, Henri Michel, Juergen Klinsmann, Marco van Basten and Oleh Blokhin.

Just about all the others will be hoping to achieve something special by springing upsets at soccer's biggest event.

Scolari, the coach of Portugal, is looking to become the third coach to win the World Cup twice, but the first to do it with two nations.

"I have a shot at that. Let's see how things go and whether I deserve it," said Scolari, who led his native Brazil to its fifth title in South Korea and Japan four years ago.

Vittorio Pozzo and Vicente Italo Feola have also won two titles. Pozzo coached Italy to titles in 1934 and '38, while Feola led Brazil to back-to-back titles in 1958 and '62.

Portugal, which reached the final at the 2004 European Championship at home, does have a chance to win its first world title. The team is led by Luis Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Deco and Pauleta, and plays in a relatively easy group with Mexico, Iran and Angola.

Hiddink has never won a World Cup, but he led the Netherlands to the semifinals in 1998, and then took South Korea to the last four in 2002. The Dutchman is now coaching Australia, a team few give a chance to make it out of a group that includes Brazil, Croatia and Japan.

"We are happy to have qualified, but we are not here to make up the numbers, and want to spring a surprise," Hiddink said hopefully.

Michel will try to equal Hiddink's past success by taking Ivory Coast to the semifinals. The Frenchman reached the last four at the 1986 World Cup with France.

But drawn into the toughest group along with Argentina, the Netherlands and Serbia-Montenegro, Michel's job won't be easy despite the attacking talents of Didier Drogba.

Klinsmann, Van Basten and Blokhin are trying to join the ranks of former star players who have won the title as a coach. Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer are the only men to have won the World Cup as players and coaches.
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