Brazil 2014 World Cup: 10 Reasons to Believe We Will See a Home Triumph

The start of the 2014 World Cup is now less than 500 days away from starting.

There has already been a tremendous amount of speculation surrounding the next winner of world football's most famous trophy.

Sides like Argentina, Germany and Spain have been endlessly linked to capturing the prize.

However, Brazil, who is hosting the World Championship for the first time in 64 years, is not the overwhelming favorite to capture the trophy. This is due in large part to inconsistent play, along with a predominately young squad.

However, there is still hope. Luiz Felipe Scolari is now managing the squad, and they still have a little more than a year before they take to the pitch in the opening fixture of the 2014 World Cup.

Here are 10 reasons why a Brazilian triumph is possible.

A World Cup host may not have become a champion of the tournament since 1998. However, hosting the tournament gives Brazil a slight advantage.

This edge is that six World Cup hosts have won the title.

Many other sides, like Brazil's infamous 1950 squad, reached the final before shockingly losing to Uruguay.

The ability to play in front of their home supporters should propel Brazil to heights that many may not expect.

When looking at Brazil's squads used in recent friendlies, many of their players have been playing domestically instead of playing overseas.

This is beneficial for these young players because they will get a chance to gradually improve at home instead of abroad.

Playing domestically has its benefits for sides in the World Cup. The last two sides to win the World Cup, Italy and Spain, had a substantial portion of their roster playing in their respective domestic leagues.

Only five players on Italy's 2006 roster played outside Serie A, while all but three of Spain's players in 2010 played in La Liga.

The failure of Brazil in tournaments during each of the three previous years (2010 World Cup, 2011 Copa America and last year's Olympics) has been criticized endlessly.

However, what has happened in each of those years will not directly impact the final result of the 2014 World Cup. Their previous failures will be washed away should they succeed.

They also should not prevent the host nation from reaching its true potential.

In 2001, Luiz Felipe Scolari took over the Brazilian national team when it was in disarray. The Brazilian secured a 2002 World Cup spot for A Selecao, and the rest is history.

A little more than 10 years later, Scolari again found himself in the managerial spot of the Brazilian national team in a time of crisis before a World Cup.

Considering he managed Brazil to their last World Cup and his considerable success as a manager previously, Scolari is the right man to manage his nation to World Cup glory.

Although no nation has won a World Cup that they have hosted since 1998, it still will provide Brazil with a major boost.

Brazil does have previous success with hosting international football tournaments. They won all four Copa America's on home soil and were minutes away from claiming the 1950 World Cup in front of hundreds of thousands of fans.

With a boost likely happening due to the success of other national programs in a year of a World Cup, Brazil should be able to continue this trend.

Brazil's squad is loaded with outstanding young individuals. Players like Lucas Moura, Marcelo, Neymar and Oscar are just some players who will be starring in next year's World Cup.

As with most young squads, Brazil will only continue to improve with time. It could improve so quickly that within a year, they might contend to win the World Cup.

Normally failing to participate in a qualification campaign hurts squads more than it helps. Teams are not able to play in meaningful matches and that can hurt squads in the long run.

However, this might not apply to Brazil. Their squad has transformed to almost have a permanent look in recent months. They will also be able to play in friendlies against strong opposition and in the Confederations Cup.

The Confederations Cup might not be the most highly regarded tournament in international football. However, it does provide a use for nations hosting it.

This is true because a nation like Brazil will get to play meaningful matches against the likes of an Italy, Spain and Mexico instead of solely relying on playing in friendlies.

Brazil's young players will have an understanding of how to play in a tournament against these sides through the Confederations Cup.

Their failures over the past three years will remain fresh in many people's minds regardless of what happens in the Confederations Cup.

However, for a young squad looking to build itself into a legitimate contender, this might be what they need for motivation in order to advance over their opponents in the World Cup.

The consensus heading into the 2014 World Cup is either Germany or Spain will win due to their success on the international level in recent years.

However, no European side has ever won a World Cup on South American soil.

This does help Brazil's chances in the tournament, though it will take much more than history to win. Brazil will need to play its best football to win the 2014 World Cup, along with some lucky breaks.

If they get both, they could make up for the infamous "Maracanazo" of 1950.

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