Brazil faces Colombia with 'psychological disadvantage'

By Nick Rigillo, dpa

You know the pressure is on when your boss hires a psychologist ahead of a crucial match.

Brazil take on Colombia at Fortaleza's Estadio Castelao on Friday in one of the World Cup's most eagerly awaited quarter-final matches.

Victory would take the hosts a huge step closer to the Maracana final of July 13. But with nearly 200 million home fans expecting nothing less than a record sixth title, the tension in the Brazilian camp has been palpable.

After witnessing several Brazilian players shed tears in the aftermath of the team's emotional penalty-shoot out victory against Chile, the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) has sought the help of a team psychologist.

"The players live the World Cup intensely, and that can lead to crying, but I don't see it as something negative. It is intensity and pride that comes with representing millions of people, and that intensity is just another source of motivation," reserve keeper Victor said when asked about the latest recruitment. The Brazilian media are not so sure.

"Colombia have the psychological advantage," is how Brazilian daily Folha de Sao Paulo summed it up on Wednesday.

On top of the psychological pressure, Brazil face two major problems. The first is that, despite being considered among the favourites, the Selecao have so far failed to impress the critics.

They may have qualified from their group relatively easily, but they only topped the standings thanks to a superior goal difference over Mexico. And their round of 16 victory against Chile - hailed by critics as one of the most complete teams in the tournament - only came thanks to a penalty shoot-out in which La Roja performed woefully.

That game also highlighted their over-reliance on Neymar. In addition, the 22-year-old superstar suffered a couple of knocks that required medical attention. Fortunately for coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, Brazil's top scorer has since been cleared to play in Fortaleza.

The other major problem facing Brazil is their next opponents.

Colombia have emerged as one of the most on-form teams of the tournament, proving that they can easily do without star striker Radamel Falcao, who could not make it to Brazil due to an injury.

They sailed through the group stages with the maximum nine points from three games and easily rid themselves of Uruguay 2-0 in the round of 16.

In addition, they have a new star in the form of James Rodriguez, the tournament's top striker with five goals from four games.

"James Rodriguez is an excellent player, a world-class player," Neymar said of his contemporary.

"I hope that his streak will have ended and that the Brazil national team keeps going. With all due respect, of course," he said.

Colombia, for their part, are brimming with confidence. They may be short on individual talent, with the exception of James, but the team as a whole has been hailed as the best ever. It is no coincidence that they are playing in their first World Cup quarter-final.

"I am convinced it is possible [to reach the final], because we have what it takes," midfielder Carlos Sanchez said ahead of the Fortaleza match.

Colombia coach Jose Pekerman, like his Brazilian counterpart, has no major injury concerns.

And while past precedents suggest that Brazil should have the edge - they won 15 and lost just two during their previous 25 encounters, Friday's game has no clear favourite.

It barely matters. As former Liverpool coach Gerard Houllier noted on Wednesday: "In football the best team is never sure of winning. People love the game because when a match is about to start, they don't know the script."