Balls Galore: A final bashing for Brazil

THE World Cup has ended, 24 hours ahead of schedule – for Brazil. For the majority of football fans in this proud nation, it might as well have not started, back four weeks ago. With the aid of hindsight, all the street protests and heated opposition to the hosting of this edition of the World Cup, for the second time in Brazil, was justified after all. The protestors can all turn round and say: "I told you so!"

But even the most fiery anarchist from within their ranks would not have willed such humiliation on their country – finishing fourth in a tournament held in their own backyard, and, enduring the pain of watching your snooty neighbor lording it all over you.

Its like Malaysia hosting a Terrible Tweet Tournament and seeing a member of the Lee Hsien Loong’s cabinet – dripping with double degrees and top-class PhDs – thumping our best twits. (Sorry Bung M, I had to slip that in).

And what a humiliation for the Samba nation it has been – from the semi-final onwards.

For, right at the start, Brazil dazzled but only to deceive as their deficiencies were laid bare for all to see as the tournament progressed and entered the stage where there’s no hiding.

The nation’s president, one-time leftist guerilla Dilma Rousef gave a television interview and pinned blame on this parlous state to the exodus of Brazil's best players overseas early in their career.

But credit must go to the Dutch for showing putting great effort in ensuring they finished third in this outing. Dutch football is at a stage where the Spaniards were at one stage prior to their all-conquering run. Great team, wonderful resources, plenty of good skills but no World Cup to their name.

They (the Spaniards), languished and was the butt of Anglo-Saxon (read English) derision (the nation, which to this day harp on their lone 1966 London victory for bragging rights) until they embarked on the unprecedented consecutive trophy acquisition trail beginning with the 2008 Euros, the 2010 World Cup and the Euros again in 2012.

Perhaps they (the Dutch) failed to stop Argentina in the semi-finals because they peaked too soon. And what peaks of ecstasy they climbed at the start of the tournament – having the temerity to stomp all over defending champions Spain!

Against Costa Rica in the quarter-finals, so much was made of the tactical triumph of coach Louis van Gaal. The master tactician switched goalkeepers just in time to bring in extra inches as an unstoppable barrier during the penalty shootout against Costa Rica.

They could not repeat this feat in the penalty phase against Argentina as the extra inches of keeper Krull could not be brought on. The masterful coach had used up all his three substitutes in the 90 + 30 minutes of out-field playing time.

When it is all over bar the shouting, how will Brazilians regard their fate?

Injured star striker Neymar has already indicated that he wished his Barcelona mates – Messi and Mascherano well. He has told the world that he wanted for them to beat Germany in the final. The rest of his countrymen – sporting though Brazilians as a sporty nation are – would no doubt be praying a German steamroller crushing the Argentinians 8 -1! That way, their own 1 – 7 thrashing would be somewhat cushioned.

There’s still the small matter of the final to be played 24 hours from now. It was supposed to feature Brazil with Neymar and his mates lifting the trophy in the steamy cauldron of the Maracanna. Instead, the mercurial Argentinians will battle it out against the machine-like efficiency of the Germans. A South America against Europe clash as widely expected – unfortunately, with the Southern Hemisphere represented by the wrong flag.

The Germans – what can one say about the land that churns out BMWs, Mercedes, Porsches and – Boris Becker? You can trust them to deliver when the crunch comes, ever methodical, mechanically technical. It won’t come as a complete surprise if they lift the cup.

The Argentinians – think Messi and Maradona, and you’d think their players have tree trunks for thighs. It is said that their low-center of gravity (they are no taller than 5 foot 7 inches; that’s 1.69 meters in metric measure) make them impossibly unshakeable when shielding the ball.

So German metronomic efficiency versus incendiary Argentinian brilliance. It will be Sunday evening in the Maracanna but well before dawn here in Malaysia. Set your alarms as the action is bound to be worth waking up to catch the action at four for!