SSR Vol5 FIFA- WC-SA

Looking ahead to Brazil

T her e is no doubt that the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil will be a big Samba Party. But, as both the world’s most popular, and the most successful team in football, the Samba Boys from Brazil will have to deliver no less than the FIFA World Cup in front of their home crowd. Though it is unusual for an unprecedented five time winner of the biggest sporting tournament in the world to be associated with disappointments, Brazil has lost at the quarter final stages in its last two World Cup tournaments. They had set the bar high, not only with their accomplishments, but by the standard for which the game is supposed to be played. The crude reality is that Brazil is struggling to find a rhythm to its football, and with pride very much a factor in the hosting of the tournament, only time would tell if Brazil can win its sixth World Cup at home in 2014. However before the ball is kicked the stadiums has to be renovated, built and completed in time for FIFA ‘s field inspection deadline date.

A s the defending World Cup champions at Germany 2006, Brazil struggled to keep up with the wizardry of Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, and Patrick Vieira in their 1-0 quarter final loss.

In 2010 they fail to handle Netherlands after becoming unglued in the second half with a lead

In 2014, Brazil has to at least advance to the final four where momentum could somehow get them back to the podium. In the

meantime, Brazil will have to start playing the

HOW THE TEAMS FINISHED & ODDS PRIOR TO STARTING

01) - Spain - 4/1 (+400) 02) - Brazil - 9/2 (+450) Quarter Final 03) - Argentina - 6/1 (+600) Quarter Final 04) England - 7/1 (+700) Quarter Final 05) - Netherlands - 10/1 (+1000) Final 06) - Germany - 14/1 (+1400) Semi Final Winner

07) - Italy - 16/1 (+1600) Group stage elimination 08) - France - 20/1 (+2000) Group stage elimination 09) Portugal - 22/1 (+2200) Quarter Final 10) -Ivory Coast - 50/1 (+5000) Group elimination 11) -Serbia - 50/1 (+5000) Group elimination 12) - Chile - 50/1 (+5000) Quarter Final 13) -USA - 66/1 (+6600) Round of 16 14) - Uruguay - 66/1 (+6600) Semi Final 15) - Paraguay - 66/1 (+6600) Quarter Final 16) - Cameroon - 80/1 (+8000) Group elimination 19)- Denmark - 100/1 (+10000) Round of 16 20) - Nigeria - 125/1 (+12500) Group elimination 21) - South Korea -125/1 (+12500) Group elimination 22) - South Africa -150/1 (+15000) Group elimination 23) - Australia - 150/1 (+15000) Group elimination 24) - Greece - 200/1 (+20000) Group elimination 25) - Switzerland - 200/1 (+20000) Group elimination 26) - Japan - 250/1 (+25000) Round of 16 27) - Slovakia - 250/1 (+25000) Group elimination 28) - Slovenia - 250/1 (+25000) Group elimination 29) - Honduras - 500/1 (+50000) Group elimination 30) - Algeria - 500/1 (+50000) Group elimination 31) - N. Korea - 1000/1 (+100000) Group elimination 32) - N-Zealand -2000/1 (+200000) Group elimination All odds taken from Ladbrokes.com NB. Mexico, Denmark, and Japan did better than this poll forecasted while Ghana went beyond expectations Brazil Argentina and England were the biggest disappointments. 17) - Ghana - 80/1 (+8000) Quarter Final 18) - Mexico - 80/1 (+8000) Round of 16

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