Brazil meet Cameroon in their final FIFA World Cup Group A game on Monday in what will undoubdetdly be a testy match for the host nation, who needs to show that they are in fact the favorites as the odds-makers have them. Brazil come in to the game on the heels of a 3-1 defeat over Crotia in the opening match of the tournament and a 0-0 draw with Mexico that showcased excellent goalkeeping by Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. Cameroon are already eliminated having lost their two opening matches to Mexico, 1-0, and Croatia, 4-0. Withouth their star striker, captain, and all time leading goal scorer Samuel Eto'o, it will be a huge surprise if the Africans are able to get anything at all out of this match.
Brazil have been quite unconvincing so far in this World Cup with key players playing quite average football. In their opener against Croatia the Brazilians went down 1-0 and were lucky to get back in the game through a sweet Neymar goal, which the goalkeeper should have saved, and a botched penalty decision. Eventually, they would go on to win 3-1 but looked susceptible at the back and pretty meager going forward. In their second game against Mexico, the Mexicans held their own, controlled a decent amount of possession, and had good goal-scoring opportunites. The Brazilians, it must be said, would have scored if not for the goalkeeping heroics of Guillermo Ochoa, but it was more the lack of attacking sharpness that should worry fans of the host nation, who will need to prove they are a capable side against Cameroon, who are dejected and shorthanded.
Cameroon come into the match without Chelsea striker Eto'o due to injury and Barcelona midfielder Alex Song due to suspension. The latter received an absolutely horrible red card for stupidly punching Croatia's Mario Mandjukic in the first half of the Cameroonians 4-0 thrashing. The absence of the two players, perhaps the best on the team, will be immense especially after the extremely poor performances the team has displayed. Cameroon came into the tournament looking to defy all odds and qualify from a tough group that includes four teams from four different confederations, but after a bad showing against Mexico, and an absolute falling-apart against Crotia, the African nation will look to save face and steal at least one point from the obvious favorites Brazil.
Brazil should undoubdetbly control this game and win this match. With their place in the knockout rounds not yet cemented, the hosts will need the likes of Neymar, Oscar, and Hulk to finish chances early and often to show the world exactly how strong this team is. Fred, who has started both of Brazil's games, is expected to start on the bench following two horrid performances. Jo is his likely replacement, as he looked lively after coming onto the pitch against Mexico. In this matchup between host nation favorites and an already eliminated side, expect a strong showing from Brazil; but if this World Cup has taught us anything, it's to expect the unexpected.
The game is set to kick off at 4:00 PM EST at the Estadio Nacional in Brasilia. It can be seen on ESPN 2 and in Spanish on Univision. If you want to live stream the match, simply go to WatchESPN here and here for a live stream in Spanish.
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