Why Brazil Won't Win the World Cup

Why South Africa 2010 Will Elude Brazilians

For the most part, the Brazilians are approaching South Africa 2010 relatively cautiously. Despite qualifying with 3 games to play and with a solid hold of the Conmebol (South American qualifying league) with a goal tally of 32 in 16 games - that's 10 more than their nearest rival Paraguay - the boys from Brazil, while optimistic, remain almost muted.

A Brazilian Speaks His Mind.

Brazilian supporter Alexandro said: "We are expecting the World Cup with some hope, but we remember that Brazil has never won as favourites. In 1994, we almost did not qualify but Romario saved us in the last game. In 2002 the team was not good but we won. In the last cup, when the team was fantastic, full of stars, it was a disappointment."

In short, understanding the Brazilian fan base means delving into a tangled mess of pride, reverse psychology and superstition.

Bad Luck Haunting Brazil at South Africa 2010

As World Cup winners in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002, and Confederations Cup Winners in 1997, 2005 and 2009, Brazil has a enough silverware in the cabinet to make a football fan of any other nation weep. But as Alexandro pointed out, "no team has ever won the Confederations Cup and the World Cup in sequence."

Brazil came in fourth in the 2001 Confederations Cup and went on to win the World Cup in 2002. Just look how the World Cup and Confederations Cup winning France team of 1998 and 2001 respectively performed in 2002. Played 3, Lost 2, Drawn 1, Goals For: 0, Goals Against: 3. They failed even to make it out of the Group stage, oh the shame.

If this trend continues, things do not look to rosy for Brazil, but there is hope.

After 33 years without a victory in the Centenario Stadium in Uruguay in an actual competitive game, Brazil pulled off a tour de force and spanked the home side 4-0 on June 6 2009.

Brazil's History in Uruguay

In order to truly understand the nuances that embroil Brazilian football, one must wind back right as far as 1950 when Uruguay, against all odds, took the World Cup 2-1 in the famed Maracanazo.

Up until this occasion, Brazil had played in white shirts with a blue neckline and white shorts. After the Maracanazo, considered a jinx, this strip was altered to the green and yellow number that the side now sports.

There is a deeper more sinister element of Brazilian society that raised its head after that fateful day in the newly inaugurated Maracana Stadium.

According to the World Cup rules at the time, Brazil only needed a draw to win the Cup for the first time, and they just blew it due to nerves. However, many preferred to heap the blame on the goalkeeper Barbosa. Barbosa, similar to millions of Brazilians, was of African descent.

To this day, there is a common superstition that a Brazilian team with a black goalie won't win a World Cup. In the 5 times they have won the World Cup, their goalies haven't been of African descent.

For those who believe this unfortunate superstition, 2010 proves to be a better year since the current keeper, the shot-stopper from Inter Milan, Julio Cesar is not black.

However in order to further cement their greatness, Dunga, Kaka and co. need to kill off the superstition of being a favourite and triumph in South Africa after a victorious Confederations Cup.