JUNE 12 - JULY 13, 2014 | BRAZIL
WORLD CUP
HEAVYWEIGHTS
Left, the French team; Spain’s Iniesta, left, and Argentina’s Messi
on June 12, will be a first test of the
host’s readiness, mood and confidence
both on and off the pitch. The Itaquerao
stadium in Sao Paulo suffered some of
the most chronic delays and the deaths
of three workers in accidents. Plans to
finish work there by mid-May are cutting
things extremely fine.
The nearly 70,000 fans will likely
throw their support behind the home
team. But as soon as the whistle blows,
they and everyone else in Brazil, from
the Amazon basin to the teeming megacities, will scrutinize Neymar and Co.
for how well they are carrying Brazilian
expectations and the legacy of Pele and
great teams from the past. Brazil is the
only country to have played in every
World Cup and to have won
five.
Winning the July 13 final
in Rio’s Maracana — the
only stadium used for both
the World Cup of 1950 and
this one — would be more
than just a feat, it would be
redemption. In that same
stadium in 1950, Brazil
lost the World Cup with a
2-1 defeat to Uruguay that
struck dumb the 173,850-strong crowd
and deeply scarred the national psyche.
With Neymar’s quick feet in attack,
midfielder Oscar’s quick thinking and
Thiago Silva holding fort in defense,
Brazil could bury the ghost of 1950, lift
the famous 18-carat gold trophy and $35
million winners’ check, and unleash the
mother of all parties. THE GAME
sports magazine t h e g a m e
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