Look in the crystal soccer ball with the official EA World Cup game

This article was originally published before the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

It’s that special moment again. You know, the days when all the people around you became football fans – like your pal who just learned to pronounce the name of American striker Jozy Altidore (“al-tuh-door”) or your boss who suddenly knows all the intricacies of 4-3-3 formation. That’s when Neymar and Özil vie with LeBron and Durant for the first title in sports sections across the country.

Oh, what a great time it is.

The World Cup season is here, and not only does that mean we have an excuse to go to the pub during working hours, but it also means that we have an officially licensed game to play with. Yes, EA Sports released a full title of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (played here) to our delight.

And with this advanced software (ignoring the fact that it’s only for the latest generation consoles) at our disposal, we decided to simulate the upcoming tournament.

Read on to find out what pixelated predictions got us out of our seats.

1. The United States will find a way out of the first round

Now here’s something that is going to ignite the die-hard supporters of Sam’s Army. According to our simulation, the United States will beat Ghana, draw Portugal and, in one of the biggest upheavals of the first leg , will defeat Germany, the eternal juggernaut, to win his group.

Unfortunately, the Americans’ fantastic race came to an end in the first knockout round – one step away from the quarter-finals – when the Belgian dark horse knocked them out of the competition.

But hey, it’s a demonstration worth singing about.

2. Holland will be the under-performer of the tournament

Dutch national team coach Louis van Gaal once said: “I cry almost every day. There is always something that touches me. Well, if the simulation of the World Cup match is auspicious, van Gaal better have a handkerchief ready as the men in orange will lose their three matches in the initial group stage, without even qualifying. for the round of 16. .

The 2010 finalists will even lose 2-1 to Australia. Hey Australians play cricket. But when it comes to (spherical) football, the Down Under Socceroos are bringing a knife to a shootout. As we know, however, it’s a pretty big knife….

3. Neymar will win the Golden Shoe and the Ballon d’Or

While many have crowned Argentinian Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo as the best players in the world, Brazilian Neymar could be the most talented. And the sim says the 22-year-old prodigy will score six goals, earning him the Golden Boot as the Cup’s top scorer and the Ballon d’Or as the number one player.

This is a very juicy prediction as Neymar has an incredible legacy to defend – a legacy that includes icons like Pelé, Garrincha and Romário. He will play in his home country and will have to face extraordinary pressure.

If the gods of virtual football are right, 2014 will be a special year for the young striker.

4. Brazil and Italy will face each other again in the final

Imagine the two most successful footballing nations entering the field in a World Cup final… nine championships between them… soon 10.

FIFA couldn’t script it better.

Our little experience pits Brazil against Italy in the last game, which would be the third time the two teams would meet in the final meeting of the biggest sporting event on the planet.

The question is, will Brazil lose again at home, repeating the Maracanaço tragedy of the 1950 final?

Good….

5. The Brazilians will add a sixth star to their coat of arms

If our sim becomes reality, the Seleção (in Portuguese for “selection”) will exorcise the ghost of 1950 and hoist the World Cup in native land. After a 2-0 victory, the virtuosos of the beautiful game will fight their way to an unprecedented sixth championship – fulfilling the soccer fantasies of a boisterous fan base.

South America’s largest nation will explode in a cloud of green and yellow mingled with joy and adulation.

So what does this tell us?

We don’t know yet, really. After all, we made this simulation for fun. And that’s why we watch football and play titles like the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.

That’s all for fun … A variety full of howls and passion.

The real answers will start to come when the real thing kicks off on June 12th. Until then, let’s let the Cup speculation – and the bar debates – begin.