Everyone is looking for a weakness in defending World Cup champion Brazil. But even if the team is getting a bit old on the back line, will it matter? Australia is energized, making its first World Cup finals appearance in 32 years. Japan and Croatia find themselves in a tough group and will have to play well to bid for the second spot and advancement to the round of 16.

BRAZIL
The Boys from Brazil know their task: bring home the Hexa. That is, their sixth World Cup championship. They have been installed as heavy favorites, and why not? The team's attacking options seem endless, with Ronaldo, Adriano, Kaka and Ronaldinho. The youngster from Real Madrid, Robinho, likely will come off the bench to provide more firepower. Many Brazilians are comparing the array of talent to the 1970 team that featured Pele and Tostao and claimed the Cup title in Mexico City. Defense will be a concern for coach Carlos Alberto Parreira: Outside backs Cafu, who turns 36 on June 7, and Roberto Carlos, 33, will try not to show their age.
FIFA world ranking: No. 1.
Player to watch:
Ronaldinho, midfielder. He's the FIFA World Player of the Year. He just won the Champions League title with his club team, Barcelona. He's 26 years old and in the prime of his career. His touch on the ball is exquisite, and his confidence is boundless. Four years ago, he scored a remarkable goal to knock out England. Look for even greater feats in Germany.

AUSTRALIA
A crowd of more than 95,000 in Melbourne gave the Socceroos a proper send-off for the World Cup, and Josip Skoko's 16th-minute goal rewarded the fans' loyalty Thursday. Australia's 1-0 friendly decision over Greece further fueled the World Cup passion Down Under, as the team headed out for a pre-tournament training camp in the Netherlands. The Aussies definitely have attacking options, including Parma's Marco Bresciano, Middlesbrough's Mark Viduka and Everton's Tim Cahill. Dutch coach Guus Hiddink, who led South Korea to the semifinals in the last World Cup and his home country to the semis in 1998, will try to reprise his magic.
FIFA world ranking: No. 42.
Player to watch:
Mark Schwarzer, goalkeeper. The 33-year-old native of Sydney played a prime role in helping Australia qualify for the World Cup, with the nation's only previous appearance coming in 1974. He made two huge saves in the decisive penalty-kick shootout with Uruguay, after the teams' 1-1 aggregate draw in a two-leg playoff. Schwarzer has become one of the top goalkeepers in the English Premier League with Middlesbrough. The Aussies play a 3-5-2 formation under Hiddink, and the back line could be the weakest link, so Schwarzer must be sharp.

CROATIA
Don't underestimate the Croatians. They placed third in the 1998 World Cup in France, making a stunning debut in the tournament, before bowing out in the first round four years ago. They qualified first in their European group, ahead of Sweden, while posting a 7-0-3 record. Forward Dado Prso led the way with five goals in qualifying. Wingers Marko Babic and Darijo Srna are able to join in the attack.
FIFA world ranking: No. 23.
Player to watch:
Niko Kranjcar, midfielder. The playmaker is the son of coach Zlatko Kranjcar, who says Niko is "just another player on the team." But for Croatia to shine, he must be more than that. The 21-year-old operates directly behind forwards Ivan Klasnic and Prso, and in front of four defensive midfielders. He became Dinamo Zagreb's youngest captain at age 17 and scored 24 goals in 90 games with the team, before signing with Zagreb's rival Hajduk Split. He has three goals in 18 international appearances with Croatia.

JAPAN
Brazilian coach Zico has tried to introduce a more free-flowing style into a Japanese team that has won the last two Asian championships. As one of the host nations in the 2002 World Cup, Japan advanced to the second round, although it did not make the same splash as co-host South Korea, which went to the semifinals. Scoring goals remains a problem, and Zico has the misfortune of facing his countrymen in the opening round. Midfielders Hidetoshi Nakata (Bolton) and Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic) have gained valuable experience in Europe.
FIFA world ranking: No. 18.
Player to watch:
Shunsuke Nakamura, midfielder. He was left out of the 2002 World Cup squad, but the 27-year-old could be a major factor for Japan this time around. He moved from Italian side Reggina to Scottish club Celtic for the past season. The left winger has scored 15 goals in 58 international appearances for his country. He was impressive in the FIFA Confederations Cup last summer in Germany, scoring in a 1-0 victory over Greece and blasting a free-kick goal in a 2-2 draw with Brazil.

GROUP SCHEDULE
June 12 - Australia vs. Japan, 8 a.m. (Milwaukee time) at Kaiserslautern.

June 13 - Brazil vs. Croatia, 2 p.m. at Berlin.

June 18 - Brazil vs. Australia, 11 a.m. at Munich; Japan vs. Croatia, 8 a.m. at Nuremberg.

June 22 - Japan vs. Brazil, 2 p.m. at Dortmund; Croatia vs. Australia, 2 p.m. at Stuttgart.