Brazil favored to win W. Cup

JAKARTA (JP): A survey says that almost half of all Indonesian soccer fans would bet on three-time champion Brazil to win the World Cup finals, currently underway in the United States.

Of the 500 respondents, all of whom were male, 48 percent favored Brazil to take its fourth title during a poll conducted by the Survey Research Indonesia (SRI) -- a renowned private survey consultant. The poll was conducted as soon as Nigeria and Bulgaria secured the remaining two spots in the final line-up yesterday.

Argentina, hit hard by a banned-drug scandal which involved its superstar Diego Maradona, received 23 percent of respondents' votes. This put them ahead of title holder Germany which earned only 13 percent.

Italy and the Netherlands were tied at fourth place with four percent, followed by Saudi Arabia with two percent and Bulgaria, Sweden and Nigeria which gained one percent each. The other seven squads collected less than one percent. (amd)