World Cup 2014: Brazil Preview - can the hosts win it?

The Expectation weighs heavily on the shoulders of Brazil this summer, as hosts look to reclaim the World Cup trophy. After struggling under previous boss Mano Menezes, Brazil have called upon LUIZ Felipe Scolari as the man to lead them into their home World Cup, after he led them to glory in 2002. Whilst that generation could show off Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and Ronaldo, the team is somewhat more modest this time around, but still possesses a number of world stars who could lead Brazil to the trophy. On their home turf, Brazil’s samba stars will be hard to beat. Their Confederations Cup final showing against Spain proved that they can compete with the best again and with the likes of Neymar and Oscar, Luiz Felipe Scolari has outstanding young attacking players who can beat anyone on their day - which could take them to the final and possibly the ultimate glory. Outside of Neymar, there isn’t anyone to be really fearful of. The Brazilians lack a top striker and have to settle for Fred or Jo leading the line, which means they may become reliant on goals from other areas. The home advantage could be key, as the Maracana willed the team on to that stunning 3-0 win over Spain in the Confederations Cup a year ago.
Whilst Brazil have their reputation for being a team that plays attractive football, Scolari has a number of physical players to call upon – Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Luis Gustavo, Paulinho, Hulk and Fred are all physically gifted, and they will complement the skill and speed of Oscar and Neymar – making the Brazilians a multi-faceted team. The aforementioned lack of a top class striker is one of the glaring issues in this Brazil team. Fred has a history of niggling injuries whilst Jo is still remembered for his nightmare spell in England with Manchester City. The likes of Alexandre Pato and Leandro Damiao have failed to develop as expected, leaving Scolari to field average strikers – could it be their downfall? His first season may not have been quite as outstanding as many thought it would be, but Neymar is still the main man for Brazil. The 22-year-old has scored 30 goals for Brazil since the last World Cup – second placed Fred has just 12 – which makes him Brazil’s most potent goal threat. There is plenty of expectation on Neymar’s shoulders, but he certainly has the confidence and ability to handle it.
Many of this Brazil squad are household names, but it’s fair to say that playmaker Bernard has the chance to make himself a household name at the World Cup – if given the chance. The diminutive Shakhtar Donetsk star has just 10 caps for his country but has the speed, trickery and vision to be a threat from the bench if Brazil need him. It does feel like Brazil will either go all the way or get knocked out in embarrassing fashion. They should cruise through Group A, but after that their holes in attack and defence could prove to be their downfall. Having the home crowd will be a huge boost to Scolari’s men, and nothing would mean more to those fans than winning the World Cup in Rio de Janeiro – but this Brazil team is far from perfect.
Well all we can say time is the perfect remedy or rather medicine to conclude about the outcome which will eventually come during the biggest tournament on the planet “The Fifa World Cup”. Fingers crossed and let’s hope that the sambas can the lift the world cup for a record 6th time as entire nations hope is on their shoulder.