Never mind the Ides of March, the fury of a patient man and dreams in which you are being chased down Rochester High Street by your A-level English teacher, who is wearing only a pair of Coventry City socks from 1983 and shouting 'You see what happens when you misuse a semi-colon!': what you should really beware is winning the World Cup dress rehearsal.
Historically, it has been a disaster. Brazil spanked Argentina in the Confederations Cup final of 2005, but were a lopsided shambles at the World Cup a year later; France won the Confederations Cup in Korea in 2001 and were a shower a year later; England won Le Tournoi in 1997 and would have won the World Cup but for David Beckham being sent off honest a year later; and West Germany won the US Cup in 1993, only to be humiliated by Bulgaria a year later.
As harbingers of imminent doom go, this is almost up there with winning the Manager of the Month award and being in a team managed by Phil Brown.
Not that this will trouble Brazil, who tonight aim to continue their often bumpy but increasingly smooth journey to next year's finals. They have progressed pretty nicely throughout this tournament, scoring 11 goals while winning all four of their games, and will expect to finish the job against the USA, who they thrashed 3-0 in the group stages of this tournament. The US have already used up enough luck to last four lifetimes, the raggy gits worked two miracles in this tournament; doughty and admirable as they are, it is hard to see lightning striking thrice.
Team news Brazil are unchanged, which means no place for Dani Alves, who came off the bench to score the last-minute winner against South Africa in the semi-final, while the US make one change: Benny Feilhaber replaces the suspended Mark Michael Bradley.
GOAL! Brazil 0-1 USA (Dempsey 10) Oh my. A lovely curving cross from a very deep position by the right-back Spector finds Dempsey, 10 yards out, and he tucks a very adroit, side-footed volley across goal and beyond Julio Cesar. That's a superb goal, and should liven things up nicely after a frankly tedious start.
GOAL! Brazil 0-2 USA (Donovan 27) What a magnificent goal! From that Brazil corner, the Americans launched a brilliant counter-attack. They were two-on-two; Donovan found Davies on the left, and he returned the ball first time to Donovan, now on the edge of the box. His first touch was delightfully quick-witted, twisting the blood of the last defender Ramires, and with his second he crunched it to the left of Julio Cesar and into the corner. Brilliant goal.
Half time: USA 2-0 Brazil So who predicted that score then? The US have quite simply done a number on Brazil. They have been excellent and astute defensively, and Davies and Altidore have carried a genuine, if occasionally haphazard, menace on the break. Both goals were of an extremely high quality, and there is no doubt that USA deserve to be ahead. Brazil are a shower, but they've been made to look like a shower.
46 min The US kick off from right to left.
GOAL! Brazil 1-2 USA (Luis Fabiano 46) It took just 39 seconds for Brazil to get back into the match. It was a very good goal, too: Maicon on the right fed the ball into Luis Fabiano on the edge of the box, back to goal, and he took a touch before swivelling to strike it instantly, through the legs of DeMerit and past Howard into the corner. Another excellent finish.
73 min Davies so nearly slaloms through the Brazil defence. Only the studs of the last man Lucio stopped him looking into the whites of Julio Cesar's eyes.
GOAL! Brazil 2-2 USA (Luis Fabiano 74) It had to come. The US defence have been playing from memory for the last 10 minutes, and Kaka was able to run the tiring Spector a little too easily down the left of the box before passing the ball invitingly across the face of goal. Robinho missed a sitter, shinning it onto the bar from six yards, but Fabiano was on hand to head the rebound past Howard from a couple of yards.
GOAL! Brazil 3-2 USA (Lucio 84) It was only a temporary reprieve for the US. The corner was hammered to the far post by Elano and the captain Lucio, who had escaped his marker Dempsey, planted a firm header past Howard and in off the unprotected post. Anyone who doubts the importance of the Confederations Cup should see Brazil's celebrations. Lucio is seriously on the brink of tears. Elano is on his knees, pumping both fists like a man who has just heard they are recommissioning Murder, She Wrote. They are going mental.
Full time: Brazil 3-2 USA Brazil retain the Confederations Cup after a fantastic final. The US were deservedly ahead 2-0 at half-time, but Brazil overwhelmed them with an exhilarating second-half performance. They were let off the leash by the match situation, and they were magnificent. I'm not sure if it tells us anything about what might happen when the real business starts in a year's time, but it was bloody good fun.
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