You did not read it wrong. That is exactly what the headline says. The samba boys are hosting the tournament and everybody is rooting for them. Sure, they have a lot of good players and they’ll be at home but I beg to differ. They just might fall short and here is why.
The Brazil National Team is fraught with young talented players but that might just be their undoing. There is no disputing the ability of these players but what about their mental attributes? Can they handle the pressure? Superstar forward and Brazil’s great hope Neymar is only 22 years of age. Chelsea’s attacking midfielder Oscar is also 22 and Shakhtar Donetsk winger Bernard is only 21. The first two players are definite starters and the latter is a contender for a spot on the right wing. Can these youngsters handle the pressure of playing at the Maracana in front of thousands who are virtually demanding that they win? Will they keep their composure if they are behind with the opposition running down the clock? Can they keep believing if they are a goal down to say, Germany or Argentina? These are questions no one can answer.
Back in June last year, Brazil legend Zico said, ‘The Brazil team is still very young. A whole new generation comes in at once. So now you get all the responsibility on a player like Neymar, who is only 21 (now 22) and has never even played in a World Cup qualifier before.’
‘We need some players who have been there and done that so the spotlight is on them rather than the young, up and coming players.’
Flashback to the World Cup final in 1950 at the Maracana stadium; Uruguay defeated hosts Brazil to lift the coveted trophy. This memory continues to haunt Brazil as a nation and even though none of the current crop was born then, they must have heard of the hurt and anger of the Brazilian populace. One wonders if such stories will not have a negative effect on the mindset of the players as they troop into the gigantic Maracana stadium.
A strong nucleus of home based players is one of the ingredients of success at international level. Spain is a perfect example of this. The cup holders had 20 home based players in their 2010 World cup squad. Even Brazil seemed to know this until recently. Taking a look at the stats, the last three times that Brazil reached the finals of the World Cup, they had a number of home based players in their ranks. In 2002 when Brazil won the trophy, 13 out of the 23-strong squad were plying their trade in Brazil. In France 1998 when they were runners up, 11 players were home based. In 1994, the Samba boys lifted the trophy with the help of 11 home based players. On the other hand, both in 2006 and 2010, Brazil were knocked out in the quarter finals. Guess what? Both teams had just 3 home based players. This time around, the squad has only four. You do the maths.
