Fifa World Cup 2014: Brazil under pressure to erase bitter memories of 1950

Five-times champions Brazil will be looking to right one of the few wrongs they have suffered on the global stage when the Fifa World Cup returns to the country next month.

The Selecao have won football’s greatest prize in Sweden (1958), Chile (1962), Mexico (1970), the US (1994) and South Korea and Japan (2002), but never on home soil thanks to a famed defeat by Uruguay in 1950.

Brazil were overwhelming favourites to take the title ahead of the final match of that tournament at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, but their continental rivals had other ideas and came from behind to triumph 2-1 and win the World Cup. The crushing hurt the Brazilian nation suffered that day became known as the ‘Maracanazo’, or the Maracano blow.

So the pressure will be on Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side to make up for that disappointment, particularly as the 2014 final will be played in the same stadium — although now extensively renovated — on July 13.

Whether this young and talented team can deliver under those conditions is the big question. They impressively dispatched Spain 3-0 in the final of last year’s Confederations Cup, but much will depend on the form of talisman Neymar, who has had a mixed first season with Barcelona. The fragile forward offers no physical presence, so how the referees interpret any challenges on him will be key to his impact — if the officials are whistle and card happy, he could thrive, but if they allow some physicality then Neymar could disappear.

This Brazil team is stronger defensively than many of its predecessors thanks to the likes of Thiago Silva (PSG), Dante (Bayern Munich) and David Luiz (Chelsea), but the goalkeeper could be a concern as Julio Cesar has faded since leaving Inter Milan.

Brazil

Fifa ranking: 4
Group A

Top man

Neymar
Date of birth: February 5, 1992 (age 22)
Place of birth: Sao Paulo
Height: 1.75m
Weight: 64kg
Playing position: Forward/winger
International caps: 47. Goals: 30
Club: FC Barcelona (Spain)

Coach

Luiz Felipe Scolari
Date of birth: November 9, 1948 (age 65)
Place of birth: Passo Fundo
Manager since: November 2012
Record: P20 W14 D4 L2 — 70% win record

Best 11 (4-3-3)

Julio Cesar; Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Marcelo; Paulinho, Fernandinho, Oscar; Neymar, Fred, Hulk.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Toronto FC/CAN), Jefferson (Botafogo), Victor (Atletico Mineiro)

Defenders: Dante (Bayern Munich/GER), David Luiz (Chelsea/ENG), Henrique (Napoli/ITA), Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Daniel Alves (Barcelona/ESP), Maicon (Roma/ITA), Marcelo (Real Madrid/ESP), Maxwell (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA)

Midfielders: Fernandinho (Manchester City/ENG), Hernanes (Inter Milan/ITA), Luiz Gustavo (Wolfsburg/GER), Oscar (Chelsea/ENG), Paulinho (Tottenham Hotspur/ENG), Ramires, Willian (both Chelsea/ENG)

Forwards: Bernard (Shakhtar Donetsk/UKR), Fred (Fluminense), Hulk (Zenit Saint Petersburg/RUS), Jo (Atletico Mineiro), Neymar (Barcelona/ESP)

Group opponents

Croatia
Mexico
Cameroon

Qualifying campaign

Qualified automatically as hosts

World Cup history

First tournament: 1930 (in Uruguay)
Appearances (excluding 2014): 19
Best finish: Winners (1958, 62, 70, 94, 2002)

Pros

• Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has a long track record of success, including leading Brazil to their last World Cup triumph in 2002.
• Led by Barcelona star Neymar, Brazil have an enviable battery of midfielders and wingers, also including Chelsea’s Oscar, Willian and Ramires and Manchester City’s Fernandinho.
• Playing with home pitch advantage and in familiar conditions will be a big plus for Brazil, not least because the top European sides will be a long way from home.

Cons

• With playing at home comes the weight of expectation from the passionate Brazilian crowd, who will quickly turn on the team if they under-perform.
• Despite all their creative talent, Brazil lack a genuine world-class goalscorer. Fred did well in last year’s Confederations Cup, but he is not in the elite bracket.
• As usual, Brazil go into the World Cup without a top-level goalkeeper, with current No.1 Julio Cesar plying his trade in the MLS with Toronto, on loan from English second-tier club QPR.