Why we should hope that Brazil fail to banish the ghosts of 1950 | Scott Murray

Anything but victory in the World Cup final would bring despair to the host nation but it would keep a great sporting story alive

Ever since nearly 70,000 Uruguayans were packed into Montevideos Estadio Centenario to see their heroes win the 1930 World Cup final, with tens of thousands more locked outside waiting to hear word, it has been clear that the performance of the host nation is an integral part of any World Cup story.

There have been no full-on hosting misfires, which is not bad going since were up to tournament 20. Chile were minnows in 1962 but fought their way to the semis anyway, propelled by a joyously boisterous Santiago crowd. The Swiss side of 1954 never had a hope of winning the trophy but in losing their quarter-final 7-5 to Austria did their bit in raising the goals-per-game tournament average to a never-to-be-beaten 5.38. The 2002 competition surely the most eye-wateringly dull of all time would have been a total writeoff had South Korea not made their improbable run to the last four. Even South Africa, the only hosts never to make it past the group stage, signed off their 2010 campaign with a resounding victory over France, finalists four years earlier, providing the home support with enough puff to power their vuvuzelas until the party was over.

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