Key occasions
Preamble
It’s June, a soccer World Cup is going down and everyone seems to be speaking about Brazil. However the extra issues keep the identical, the extra they alter. This can be a membership World Cup, Brazilian success has caught Europe unexpectedly – and far of it has been achieved by way of defensive excellence moderately than our previous good friend J. Bonito.
If the Fifa president Giovanni Infantino is ever the topic of a kiss and inform – oh I’m sorry, I didn’t realise you have been consuming – don’t be shocked to learn that, not not like David Mellor, he likes to do his worst whereas sporting a duplicate prime: in Gianni’s case it could most likely be certainly one of Palmeiras, Botafogo, Flamengo and Fluminense, the 4 Brazilian groups who’ve breathed life and soul into his unloved competitors.
Even when European groups dominate the knockout stage, the influence of Brazil’s most interesting will an abiding reminiscence of the inaugural Membership World Cup. That knockout stage begins with a – warmth allowing – mouthwatering tie: Palmeiras v Botafogo, the primary assembly at this competitors between two groups from the identical nation. (I believe it’s the primary at any Membership World Cup since 14 January 2000, when Corinthians beat Gary Neville’s Vasco da Gama on penalties within the closing, however it could take an age to verify each match since then and the nugget on supply simply isn’t value it.)
Palmeiras topped a gaggle that included Inter Miami and Porto; Botafogo beat PSG – the primary in 13 years that the champions of South America have been their European equal – and eradicated Atletico Madrid.
The winners will play Benfica and Chelsea on this floor on Friday. Given how a lot this implies to all 4 Brazilian groups, the losers might not go quietly.
Kick off 5pm BST, 1pm in Philadelphia.
