Can anyone beat Brazil? For the half dozen or so teams that have a chance to make it to the finals of this year's World Cup soccer tournament, the answer to that question will be found in how fit their players can stay during their run for gold as well as how some of their key stars perform under the enormous pressure of playing the game at the highest level of competition in the world.
But most of all, the answer to the question can anyone beat Brazil rests, as it usually does, with the Brazilians themselves and whether their phenomenally talented team of international superstars can play together as a team while the minor controversies and stratospheric media hype swirls around them. They carry the hopes of 175 million of their fellow countrymen who eat, breathe, live, and die Brazilian football. And anything and everything that impacts the games, even tangentially, is blown up, analyzed, discussed, fretted over, and becomes part of the weight placed upon the team as they struggle to perform up to expectations.
For the nation of Brazil, those expectations include nothing less than a World Cup championship. The people feel they own the Cup, that it is Brazilian state property. An enormously proud people, the Cup is a part of their national identity. And while they can be fiercely loyal to the "Seleção Canarinha" , they are unremitting task-masters, demanding perfection at all times.
Alas, the players are but human beings and therefore incapable of perfection. But given the level of talent belonging to this year's group of Brazilian immortals, they may get closer to it than anyone imagines.
There are legends like Cafu, who anchors a stifling defense. And Ronaldo, who Americans may remember from the 1994 World Cup played here. Just a teenager then, Ronaldo went on to become FIFA Player of the Year three times (1996, 1997, 2002).
And then there is simply Ronaldinho. English-language adjectives fail to do justice to the speed, skills, and instincts of a man considered by many to be the greatest player in the history of the game. Do yourself a favor, even if you are not a soccer fan; watch every game Ronaldinho plays in during this Cup run. At 26 years old, he is at the peak of his powers. And the chances of you seeing his likes again in your lifetime are pretty close to nil.
Article comments
1 - Matthew T. Sussman
I remember back in '98 when the U.S. lost to Iran (silence) that their goal for world glory was 2010. I think they sorta were ahead of schedule last time. I hope they escape the first round.
As for the whole thing, I'm actually going with Germany. My dark horse is Trinidad (but not Tobago).
2 - RJ Elliott
My prediction:
The US will probably come in third in their strong group (behind the Czech Republic and Italy), and therefore not advance to the next round.
If they do advance, it will likely be as the second-place finisher in their group, which means they would next face Brazil...and almost certainly lose.
However, if they somehow manage to win their group, then they have a solid chance at making it at least to the Quarter-Finals, if not the Semi-Finals...
3 - RJ Elliott
The US lost to the Czech Republic 3-0...
They now pretty much have to beat both Italy AND Ghana to make it out of their group...
And that's pretty unlikely...
Of course, if they somehow manage to just tie Italy, they will still have a slim chance of advancing, as long as they can beat Ghana...