Dreaming of Brazil. Between tonight and tomorrow the Carioca World Cup will take on more and more shape and more will be added to the 14 national teams that have already qualified. Not all 18 are missing though, because to get the complete list we will have to wait for the outcome of the play-offs, which will concern the whole continent. In fact, the regulation varies from area to area, on the other hand it could not be otherwise given the variety of teams.
In the 9 European groups, only the first-placed teams go directly to the final phase, while the best 8 runners-up go to the playoffs (draw on 21 October, first leg on 15 November, second leg on 19). To date only Belgium, Italy, Germany, Holland and Switzerland have detached the ticket for Brazil; therefore, another 4 passes remain to be assigned, with Russia, England and Spain in pole position. Barring cataclysms, in fact, they will win their respective groups, but woe to tell Capello, Hodgson and Del Bosque: for the three coaches in question, the matches against Azerbaijan, Poland and Georgia should not be underestimated.
Maybe, but it seems to us that the only group really in the balance is group G, which sees Bosnia and Greece paired at the top with 22 points. The ball is in the hands of Dzeko and his companions, who have direct clashes on their side, but if they stumble in Lithuania, Karagounis and Samaras could take advantage of it, thanks to the easy home match against Liechtenstein.
For the others, superstition aside, it's already time to think about the play-offs. Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal has practically lost head-to-head with Russia and seriously risks watching the World Cup on TV. In fact, the playoffs are full of pitfalls, France knows something about it which in 2010 got the better of Ireland in the Trap (today sadly out of everything) only thanks to Henry's mischievous hand.
Deschamps' men will be forced to relive the nightmare, unless Spain lose sensationally (it is appropriate to say it!) against Georgia. In the balance, again with regard to the play-offs, also groups B (Bulgaria and Denmark paired with 13 points), D (Turkey and Romania with 16) and E (Iceland with 16 points, Slovenia with 15): in this sense, the the highlight of the evening is certainly Turkey-Netherlands, with Romania cheering shamelessly on for the Orange team, already qualified but chasing seeded status. Modric's Croatia and Ibra's Sweden, on the other hand, are already sure of the playoffs, capable of pulverizing the competition from Mihajlovic's Serbia and Trap's Ireland.
Not just Europe though, because Brazil 2014 is a global affair. In South America the games are almost done: in addition to the landlords, who qualified by right, Messi's Argentina and Falcao's Colombia are already at the World Cup. For the other two places, Chile and Ecuador are very favourites, who, from the top of their 25 points, look confidently at Uruguay. Tonight the direct clash is played, the draw (which would qualify both) is not even listed anymore... In short, Matador Cavani will have to conquer Brazil through the play-off with Jordan, in turn winner of the playoff against Uzbekistan.
In Asia everything is already outlined, with Zaccheroni's Japan being the first team to break the pass. The Samurai will be joined by Iran, Australia and South Korea, as well as possibly Jordan, who, as previously mentioned, will have to play the play-off against the fifth team in the South America group. Playoffs already underway in Africa, where no one has direct access to the World Cup. The first leg matches have already been played over the weekend and saw the internal successes of the Ivory Coast (3-1 over Senegal) and Burkina Faso (3-2 against Algeria), the external one of Nigeria (1-2 in Ethiopia) and the goalless draw between Tunisia and Cameroon. While waiting for Ghana-Egypt (to be played today), the picture is starting to take shape, waiting for the return matches scheduled for mid-November. The World Cup is still far away, but only in terms of time. In fact, on the field we arrived at hour X, the one that leads directly to Brazil.
