How will Brazil fare in its hunt for a World Cup trophy at home?
Siphiwe Tshabalala isn't a household name. However, Tshabalala was the name on every South African's lips following the striker's thunderous left-footed strike in the opening match against Mexico in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. While the trajectory of the host nation's fortunes only went down after Tshabalala's glorious goal, the craze for the game did not diminish.
And that was South Africa, the home of the Springboks. Imagine a World Cup in Brazil, the spiritual home of the beautiful game.
Brazil's infatuation with football, and winning the World Cup, can be understood by going back to 1950 - the year they last hosted the event. Having experienced unexpected difficulty in their group matches with, the hosts went on a murderous spree as they destroyed their opponents on their way to the finals. Sweden were trounced 7-1, while Spain were hammered 6-1, and Brazil reached the finals with a goal difference of +17 where fellow South Americans Uruguay awaited.
Brazil's 2-1 loss to Uruguay in the 1950 final was cataclysmic. FIFA President Jules Rimet was escorted onto the field by crying policemen, while the Uruguay captain was asked not to hoist the cup inside the deathly-silent Maracana stadium that housed around 200,000 spectators. People committed suicide, and as far as the citizens of Brazil were concerned, the world had ended.
Sixty four years and five World Cup triumphs later, the desire for another world title has not lessened. If anything, the hunger is nearing a crescendo given that the Selecao are playing at home. Should Brazil not win the World Cup in 2014, it could very well be 1950 all over again.
As one would expect, the band of usual suspects will do all in their power to stop the hosts from winning. Defending champions Spain head the group, with Argentina, Germany and the Netherlands hoping to gatecrash the Samba boys' party. Add in the dark horses in the form of Belgium, Uruguay and Portugal, and we have a heady concoction of competition, style and fervour. This is without even having talked about European giants England, France and Italy.
Road to the Final
Brazil's path to the finals is hazardous to say the least. Should they top a relatively straightforward Group A consisting of Croatia, Mexico and Cameroon, they will most likely face the Netherlands in the Round of 16, assuming the Dutch come second in their group. Should they come first, a Brazil-Spain tie would be in the offing.
The quarter-finals could see Brazil pitched against their nemesis from more than half-a-century ago, Uruguay. While Uruguay may only have a population of around 3 million, they have the deadliest strike force in international football in the form of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, with 2010 Golden Ball winner Diego Forlan to call upon should the need arise.
The permutations and combinations are such that Brazil could possibly face either Italy or England at the quarterfinal stage, depending on how Group D, a.k.a. the Group of Death, pans out. Italy, England, Uruguay and Costa Rica will battle it out among themselves to decide which two qualify for the knock-out stages.
The semi-finals sets up another mouth-watering clash should Brazil continue their winning run. Before they can think of entering the hallowed turf of the Maracana, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari's wards will have to tackle the small matter of either Germany or France.
Finally, Brazil could have the chance to put the ghosts of 1950 to sleep – should they beat either Spain or Argentina.
All in all, a veritable mine field.
Kick-Off
In the atrociously early hours of Friday, Brazil will take on Croatia and set the football rolling. 32 nations may be participating in the month-long festival, nation-wide protests may be ongoing, completion of stadium construction work may be giving India's 2010 Commonwealth Games' preparation a run for its money, but one could be forgiven for thinking that it's all about Brazil and football.
But let's face it: it is about Brazil and football.