BRAZIL HAVE not impressed me one bit. For their pedigree alone, they should never have been just 2-1 against the worst team of the tournament—Cameroon—at half time, moreover, through the defensive errors of the African side. They needed the magic of Neymar to raise the bar.

Tonight, they will again need the young shoulders of the forward to bear the burden for another 120 minutes of grueling football action. Like you would say of Argentina where Di Maria, Aguero and Higuain are so lost in the game, leaving Messi to carry the team alone, one would wonder what Hulk is doing in the Brazilian squad.

For a team that used to lineup Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Robinho not so long ago, Hulk and Fred are like imposters on a graffiti wall. But Brazil is the home side and Big Phil has some magic to his tactical acumen that always yields results.

However, Chile will be the true test of those credentials. These are fellow South Americans and Brazil must be wary. They must be wishing they had faced Le Oranje instead of Chile, a team that plays with discipline flows with each touch of the ball.

Again, Chile has nothing to lose in the game, so the pressure will be on Brazil, with 50 per cent of it weighing on the shoulders of Neymar. Alexis Sanchez’s relentless runs are not something Thiago Silva and David Luis will want to fancy at this stage. They have not come across one like it.

For Chile to have a chance, they need to go ahead first and pile more pressure on Brazil. Leading at half time will be an added edge. This fixture bears the hallmark of a 120-minute game spilling into post-match spot-kicks.

For Uruguay, the game is already lost. For a team beaten by Costa Rica while without Luis Suarez, the ban on the striker effectively ends Uruguay’s chances. They will need a miracle to beat Colombia, and with the miracle man back in Montevideo, Colombia have it easy. Handicap.