Intro
Coach: Luiz Felipe Scolari, 'Felipao'
Key Players:
Neymar
Yes, Barcelona have failed to reach their full potential in his first season in Europe, but no, none of the blame can really be laid at Neymar's feet.
It seems absurd now that there were doubts that he'd ever acclimate to Europe - with 14 goals and 11 assists in 33 appearances so far, the mercurial dynamo has adapted as well as could have been reasonably expected.
Fair or not, Neymar will assume full responsibility for Brazil's success or failure this summer. His performances for the national team (30 goals in 47 appearances) have been routinely excellent since Felipao took over for the reviled Mano Menezes, and there's no longer any debate among Brazilian fans - Neymar is their most important player.
If he can replicate his form from the 2013 Confederations Cup (where he was the best player in the tournament, and it wasn't really close), there's no team in this tournament that Brazil can't hang with. His ability to conjure magic out of nothing is unrivaled (except for maybe a certain Argentine he plays with in Barcelona), and when inspiration strikes, he produces moments that leave you picking your jaw up off the floor.
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH7f1UWICLw[/embed]
Oscar
The unsung hero of Chelsea's season, Oscar has been an absolutely vital component of the most talented midfield in England. A gifted technician who sees the field like he's watching the game on television, Oscar has developed into the player that Paulo Henrique Ganso - Neymar's former running mate at Santos - was supposed to become.
Thiago Silva
When Paris St. Germain made Thiago Silva the world's most expensive defender in 2012 (his €42 million transfer from AC Milan was over €6M more than the previous record for a defensive player), no one batted an eyelash. Brazil's captain is composed, technical, and physical enough to nullify the world's most dangerous attackers, and the price the Parisians paid for him was.............
His running mate in Brazil's defense remains unknown - Chelsea's David Luiz and Bayern's Dante look to be the most likely candidates, but neither can match Silva's imperious..................
Wild Card:
Hulk
Prediction:
Semifinals
Unfortunately for the Selecao, 2014 might have come too soon for this team. With the majority of Brazil's key players aged 25 or younger and an absolutely terrifying generation of talent just starting to hit the scene, Brazil's squad in 2018 has the potential to replicate the 1998 squad's success...and they might make it look even easier.
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