Even before the World Cup started in Brazil the favourites to win the title had already been decided.
Brazil, Germany, Netherlands and Spain were expected to win the World Cup. Barring Brazil all the other teams were European nations. But no one factored in the fact that the World Cup is being hosted by Brazil a South American nation. Many even underestimated the South American teams. As the tournament progressed five teams out of six from the continent have qualified for the round of 16. But what are the factors that favoured these teams.
Weather conditions
Brazil, a country known for its hot and humid climate, conditions which you don’t get to see in Europe. These conditions surely suited the South American nations. As the tournament progressed we could clearly see that the heat and humidity were taking a toll on the European teams. This proved to be true as the hosts Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Argentina and Chile all qualified for the next round. Ecuador were the only South American nation who failed to qualify for the knockout stage. Such were the conditions that FIFA decided to stop certain matches for a few minutes and allow the players to rehydrate.
Home Advantage
The South American teams got massive support from their fans. Crowds poured in from all corners to support their teams. The South American teams were roared on with incredible intensity. When the national anthems were played you could hear the fans singing with real passion and emotion. These drove their teams on and made the environment very difficult for the European nations.
Determination to win
The tournament being held in South America, there was a real desire for all these teams to win. It wasn’t that the European nations were not determined. Just the fact that the FIFA World Cup was being played in their own continent, something that doesn’t happen very often. The drive and the never die attitude was there for all to see. We could see the players calling on their fans to cheer their teams on.
Tactics
Chile and especially Colombia were not expected to do well in the tournament. These teams generally struggle to qualify for the tournament. But these lesser teams proved their doubters wrong These teams were very well organized and disciplined. They were relentlessly pressing high up the pitch causing a lot of problems to the opposition. They managed to play good counter attacking football. The South American teams were also tactically flexible.
South American teams have received a lot of praise as almost all the teams qualified for the next round. Their performances might strengthen peoples opinion that it is going to be a South American Nation to win the World Cup. Why not? As all the factors work in their favour. History might support that as no European nation has ever won the World Cup in South America. But all that can change. Teams like Germany, Belgium, France and Netherlands have done well so far in the tournament. So they cannot be counted out just yet. Even they will feel that they have a good chance of making it to the finals. They can still surprise everyone and win.
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