After years of preparation, now is the time for Brazil to embrace their destiny

So, then. This is it. No more talking. No more posturing. No more friendlies (oh, so many friendlies since South Africa). No more planning. Just actual, competitive football matches. Hopefully seven of them.

For Brazil, the road from World Cup 2010 to here has been a long one – both off the pitch and on it. For while the state of the country’s roads and stadiums has been subject to growing scrutiny ever since that last tournament ended, it is easy to forget that the Seleção were in a similar state of disrepair not so long ago.

Read this scene setter at Yahoo! Eurosport here.