Written by Damien Kayat for @Hollywoodbets.
Brazil vs Mexico | Tuesday 17 June | Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza | 21:00
Brazil’s unfashionable opening day win opened the door to a vast array of results that no one expected. The Netherlands and Spain was one thing, the unexpected genius of Costa Rica was something else. The basic common denominator is that South American teams are going to have a big say in this World Cup and this match will not be any different. Mexico, a rather random entity thus far, was surprisingly effective against Cameroon, completely suffocating the Indomitable Lions. Brazil, on the other hand, survived a defensive vulnerability to the counterattack and managed to sneak through. This should be an awesome barometer of South American might.
To Win (90mins)
Brazil 3/10
Draw 4/1
Mexico 9/1
Brazil
Brazil were rather fortuitous in their opening match, but that would cloud the fact that they dominated possession throughout. Luis Gustavo and Paulinho managed to protect a fragile defensive unit ably enough, while Oscar displayed maturity beyond his years going forward. Neymar is the only true gamebreaker in the Brazilian pack, which puts inordinate pressure on the other members of the side. His petulant yellow card will add an interesting selection dilemma for Scolari, who will no doubt resist the urge and go on with the same team. Personally, I find the central midfield pairing of Gustavo and Paulinho a bit static, I would rather have the progressive running of Ramires there to add lustre to their attacks. Be that as it may, Brazil should have enough firepower to combat even the sternest Mexican test. Their pure physicality, added to the home crowd fervour, should culminate in a winning recipe for the hosts.
Mexico
Mexico were quietly impressive against Cameroon, bossing possession in a manner that would befit any tika taka side out there. The partnership of Peralta and Vazquez seemed to ignite something that was utterly bereft throughout Mexico’s qualifying campaign. Rodriguez and Layun seemed to thrive in their full-back positions against Cameroon, but they will find Alves and Marcelo a much tougher combination to unlock. Guardado and Moreno will try ably, but I don’t think they will be able to deal with the all-out barrage offered by Brazil. I’m not trying to say that I was overly impressed with the host nation first time round, far from that, but I feel that they will carry the weight of expectation far better with three points under the belt.
VERDICT: Both Teams to Score 1/1
Mexico had an encouraging start to the tournament and may well have eased their way into a second place position, but they should be no match for a side that plays a similar (but better) brand of football. Brazil offer little value on the outright and considering they’ve looked leaky at the back, Both Team to Score looks a good bet.
The man knows his football, but even he gets it wrong from time to time. Feel free to share your view below.
