THE HOSTS
The economic wisdom of staging the event in a country where public opinion would prefer resources to be oriented towards health and education has been seriously called into question. But the credentials of many of the players, while broadly sympathetic to these audible critical voices, have not. The Confederations Cup is not always a certain indicator of the eventual World Cup winner but Samba stars Neymar, Hulk and Fred did anything but fluff their lines in the World Cup rehearsal last summer.
Since his move to Barcelona in 2013, Neymar has struggled to replicate the form that earned him the golden boot at the Confederations. But having spent his formative years at Santos, he has thrived on the adoration of the fans at the Arena de Sao Paolo where the hosts kick off against Croatia on June 12th. The electric atmosphere at the revamped Maracana in Rio will give further impetus to the hosts who look on course to ascertain a record sixth World Cup.
THE CHAMPIONS
Before Spain’s triumph in South Africa in 2010, no European team had ever won football’s biggest prize outside the Old continent. Much has been made of European team’s falling short in Latin America but Spain’s dominance in recent years offers the best opportunity to break this particular duck.
The bad news for Spain is that naturalized Brazilian-born striker Diego Costa, so instrumental in Atletico Madrid’s impressive La Liga victory, is a doubt with a hamstring injury. Spain’s lack of a recognized striker since Fernando Torres’ loss of form has been their only identifiable weakness and Costa’s fitness will only add to this concern. The unavailability of Bayern Munich’s Thiago Alcantara is a big blow but less worrying given that Spain now only have the eight world class midfielders to count on!
Proponents of ‘tiki-taka’ football like Barcelona and Bayern have found themselves out of fashion. Pep Guardiola’s brand of suffocating possession football and his stifling turtle neck tops are out (if they were ever in!!) and explosive counter-attacking (and crisp white collars) are all the rage. Spain only play one way. Without Costa and with Torres and Negredo struggling for form, they will have no plan B.
THE LIKELY LATIN AMERICANS
The champions have an awkward Group B counterpart in Chile. La Roja (the Latin American one) proved themselves to be resilient opponents for the European Roja in South Africa (Spain scraped past Chile 2-1 in the group stages in 2010). In addition to their Europe-based stars Alexis Sanchez (Barcelona) and Arturo Vidal (Juventus), Chile can count on the local knowledge of the Brasilerao’s Eugenio Mena (Santos) and Jorge Valdivia (Palmeiras). But it will be tricky for both Roja to repeat the feat they accomplished in 2010 and get out of the group together given the presence of the Dutch.
Also well acclimatized to Brazil are neighbours Uruguay. Although Luis Suarez (if fit) and Edison Cavani will undoubtedly be the focus of the world’s media, but Los Charruas also have some solid performers in Atletico’s Diego Godin and some potential surprise packages in their Latin America-based players. Classy midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro currently at Botafogo would be a real unknown quantity for the defenses of Italy and England if given the opportunity.
Like Suarez, Radamel Falcao will be subject to late fitness tests. El Tigre and Columbia won’t just be playing for their pride in a group including Greece, The Ivory Coast and Japan – one they can realistically claw their way out of.
The last champions of a World Cup staged in Latin America were also the hosts. But if you think Argentina will allow history to repeat itself in Brazil then think again. The Albiceleste would be only too pleased to deny their rivals in their own back yard. Messi, Di Maria, Aguero, Zabaleta and co. have all become accustomed to repeated club successes since the last World Cup tournament. To add a World Cup medal to their various Champions League, Liga and Premier League titles would be far from unimaginable for these habitual winners.
THE UNLIKELY LATIN AMERICANS
Having only once made it out of their group (in Italy 1990), it’s hard to see a Costa Rica finishing anything other than last after matches against Uruguay, Italy and England. What’s worse for Los Ticos is that Everton forward Bryan Oviedo hasn’t recovered from injury. But group E, featuring Honduras and Ecuador, will be far more open. Honduras are the clear outsiders and Ecuador, despite performing very well in Quito in qualifying, are notoriously bad away from home.
But this group has more potential than a bottle of aguardiente to cause an upset. France have a habit of self-destructing and Switzerland, the highest FIFA-ranked team in the group, lack significant experience.
That just leaves Mexico. Sadly for Los Tri, they have not kicked-on in recent years. The squad members primarily play in Liga MX, which in itself that is not an indictment of the caliber of player hoping to reach the country’s first ever semi-final, but they only narrowly scraped into the play-offs to make the tournament proper. There also appears to be little world-class talent emerging to support Javier Hernandez, so criminally underemployed at Manchester United, and the ageing Rafa Marquez recalled in the absence of credible alternatives.
As Winston Churchill’s popular refrain goes, “history is written by the victors.” It forgets the losers. In Brazil 2014, there will be many potential writers looking to right past wrongs. Nor have any potential victors been forgotten here. Nor Vitors, nor Joaos, nor Ruis. Not even a two-time Balon D’or winning one-man team shouldering the expectations of the hosts former colonial bosses. Nope. None.
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