Brazil vs Chile

1) I'm a bit perverse for a football fan; I can't stand all that jogo bloody bonito, samba soccer Brazil love bullshit. I became immensely sick of the love-in towards a barely functional, Hollywood Brazil team four years ago, and was absolutely delighted at their defeat to France. So normally I don't want Brazil to win anything, in case the sickening fawning of pundits makes me stick a kitchen knife into my head.

This Brazil team is quite different though; a rock solid defence comprising of probably the best keeper, right back and centre half in the world, with two hard-working defensive midfielders, and then three quicksilver attackers on the counter. They are going to be incredibly difficult to beat, and would be deserving World Champions.

2) This match basically summed up that Brazil perfectly: they took the lead through a functional set-piece goal, then countered beautifully as Robinho and Kaka set up Luis Fabiano, before they soaked up Chile's attacks and launched another attack, Robinho sumptuously stroking Ramires pass (at first glance, I thought Ramires had actually miscontrolled the ball; it was actually a lovely cute pass. Kudos to Ramires for not shooting from that position as well).

3) Chile were game, and kept attacking; Brazil seem to have learned from their earlier games, where they, having taken a two or three goal lead, they allowed their opponents to come back into the game. Here, they were absolutely intent on not conceeding. Chile's real chance of progression in this World Cup was in scoring enough goals to beat Switzerland or Honduras heavily, or in drawing with Spain. They paid for profligacy in the first games, and for crazy goalkeeping in the latter (I watched half an hour vs Spain, and Chile were by far the better side until their keeper decided to come forty yards out of his goal and not put the ball out of play).

4) It's going to take a good fucking team to beat Brazil to the title; I doubt that the Netherlands are the one. The thing that has been so interesting about the World Cup is that most of its best sides (Brazil, Holland and Germany) have all played their best football on the counter; when these teams begin to meet each other in the latter stages, it will be interesting to see the approach. Neither Brazil nor Holland will be uncomfortable with the ball for long periods, but neither will want to commit too many players forward to play into the other's strengths. It could make for a strange game. Spain of course are the exception to the counter attacking theory, although they are also proficient at breaking; their game with Portugal today is another high profile knock-out clash that should be interesting. My personal prediction (which will doubtless be wrong) is that Portugal will win 2-1, in what I guess will be a shock if you have never watched Spain play in a World Cup before (they lack what Tim Flowers has in spades).