The draw for the 2014 World Cup proved uncomfortable viewing for some of the most prestigious coaches in world football, and not simply because of the botched minute’s silence, the controversially light-skinned presenters or a dancing armadillo.
The stage was set before the stage was set.
In an isolated resort in the northeast of Brazil, at an expense in excess of $11 million (Dh40.4m), a lavish ceremony mixed arts and culture with the country’s famous footballing past.
Then, courtesy of eight prominent former players, the balls were drawn and brackets were set.
Few will feel more hard done by than the United States, who were selected to play Germany, Portugal and Ghana next June.
Spain and the Netherlands, finalists in 2010, were grouped together, while England and Italy will face off in the humid Amazonian city of Manaus, 4,000km from Sao Paulo, the host site for England’s second match, against Uruguay.
Algeria, the only Arab representative at the showpiece, will meet Belgium, Russia and South Korea, while Iran drew Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Nigeria.
Yet before any of that had been decided, Sepp Blatter, who when it suits him often speaks of how football and politics should not mix, approached the stage alongside Dilma Rousseff, the Brazilian president.
A small protest by a hotel workers’ union had taken place earlier in the day at the entrance to this grandiose resort, and the Fifa president, presented by Fernanda Lima and husband Rodrigo Hilbert, appealed to Brazil’s population to “come together”.
Blatter is a renowned palm-presser, arguably more content amid kings and sheikhs than he is coaches and strikers, and he immediately called a minute’s silence in tribute to the late Nelson Mandela, the former South African leader who grew to symbolise the 2010 World Cup. Silence, however, does not make for good television and so after only a few seconds, Blatter suggested a moment’s applause instead.
Rousseff expressed her confidence that Brazil would host “a cup that nobody will ever forget” and “the cup of all cups”.
Blatter had only the previous day revealed Sao Paulo’s World Cup stadium is not expected to be finished until eight weeks before hosting the tournament’s opening match, yet he confidently declared the six-week jamboree will be “the greatest of all time”.
Much of that will be determined by what happens on the pitch.
And much of that, say the coaches, could be determined by where the pitch is, given Brazil’s size and differing climates. Blatter has said that “for the time being” Sao Paulo will continue to be scheduled to host the opening game, despite progress being delayed following a crane accident last week that resulted in the death of two stadium workers. Following the draw, we now know Brazil’s opposition on June 12 will be Croatia.
Pele suggested his country will reach the final and a favourable draw for the hosts sees them also face Mexico and Cameroon. Luis Felipe Scolari, the Brazilian coach, will expect his Confederations Cup winners to overcome all three. The same cannot be said of other countries with elevated expectations, including the world champions.
The last match Spain played at a World Cup saw them defeat Holland to lift the trophy for the first time. Vicente del Bosque, the Spanish coach, carefully placed the golden trophy atop a plinth and spoke of the difficulty of defending his country’s crown, adding his opposite teams were “excellent”. And that was before the draw.
Next year, the champions will open their campaign against Holland in Salvador before making the trip south to Rio, where they will play Chile. They finish their group stage against Australia in Curitiba, south of Sao Paulo.
If that sounds like extensive travel, spare a thought for Roy Hodgson, the England coach who earlier this week spoke of his fear of being forced to play out a group stage match in Manaus.
The capital of Amazonia is the northernmost and most remote host city in Brazil, while also offering a tropical climate that, even before factoring in stifling humidity, can see temperatures reach in excess of 30 degrees in June. It is such conditions that will greet England and the 2006 champions, Italy.
Algeria were handed the most favourable draw geographically and will play all three of their group games relatively close together. The Desert Foxes will meet Belgium in Belo Horizonte, Russia in Sao Paulo and South Korea in Rio de Janeiro.
gmeenaghan@thenational.ae