This article was written by Mohammed Sami, you can follow Mohammed on Twitter here @_sami116
The biggest spectacle in the world is here. All eyes will be on one thing and one thing only for the next 30 days lest we break out into a world war or aliens invade. The World Cup is upon us and it is a mythical one as it will be played in the hinterlands of football or, as less fantastical people are prone to call it, Brazil.
Trumpets have been blown, wall charts firmly glued to their apportioned home, tickets purchased, television subscriptions upgraded and hairstyles of favourite players have been assumed. The excitement has reached levels that cannot be measured on a scale and yet the picture of this tournament seems ill-conceived. The anticipation seems misplaced, Brazil have been declared overwhelming favourites and this buzz doesn’t seem apposite for such a foregone conclusion. Why the rush when we know who the winner is?
Truth is, we don’t. The list of the bookmakers’ favourites reads: Brazil, Argentina, Spain and Germany. Of these, only two can claim to have a squad full of genuine world class talent while none of them have had the consistency and panache of the all-conquering 2010 Spain side. This is a brazen compilation of myths, legends, expectations and hearsay. No one has a clue about who will win this or even who will put up a show.
Brazil are the favourites. Pundits, journalists and bookies have unabashedly declared them so. After all, they are Brazil and they are playing at home. But this Brazil team is very unlike its predecessors. It lacks the flair and imagination on which the Samba nation has built its football culture. This side is flavoured in the way most European teams are.
Luiz Felipe Scolari’s men are a potent counter-attacking unit built on a solid defence comprising of Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, David Luiz and Marcelo. This is the strongest and most stable part of the Brazilian make-up and perhaps also the best backline in the tournament. It is joined by a strong and unimaginative midfield, supporting a decent frontline which is a tad too dependent on the young shoulders of Neymar. It doesn’t quite amount to what a favourite should look like does it?
Then we have Argentina. Perhaps the most unbalanced side in the competition. Boasting the best attacking line-up in the world, they elicit awe and fear in opponents but one look at the midfield and defence is enough to vanquish any such feelings. Argentina, unlike their rivals, do not have anything to back-up their claims. They just happen to be on the list because of their past.
A similar lyrical can be waxed about Spain and Germany. No-one can lay a claim to the trophy despite all the calculations and presumptuous predictions made by analysts, pundits, mathematicians and their ilk. The cup is very much up for grabs and Brazil have as much chance of winning it as underdogs Belgium. None of the teams have displayed a style which opponents have found daunting. None of the teams exude the suaveness of sides such as 1970 Brazil or 2010 Spain. No team has had a crippling stranglehold over international football over the past few months. All of them will be entering this tournament as equals.
This might just be the most unpredictable World Cup in recent times.