On the eve of the World Cup Finals, Willian believes the Brazilian public deserve to see the host nation win the trophy for the sixth time.
Brazil open the tournament against Croatia on Thursday evening, and are expected to sail through a group which also contains Cameroon and Mexico. Of course, picking up maximum points is what many pundits and supporters expect them to do, with the majority making Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side favourites to go all the way and lift the cup.
Chelsea star Willian and his international team-mates are fully aware of the expectancy on their shoulders, as they look to be crowned champions for the first time since 2002. The playmaker knows anything less than a sixth victory will be considered failure, and he feels a responsibility to ensure the home fans get exactly what he feels they deserve.
“The Brazilians, as a nation, they deserve it,” he said. “They have been waiting a long time. Every team we play will treat us like their World Cup final. We know that’s the size of the task we face but we are ready for it. We know we have fantastic support from the fans and we will give everything to make them happy. We are full of confidence.”
If Brazil come out on top in Group A, they will face the runners-up of Group B in the second round. This will likely be a mouth-watering clash against either Louis van Gaal’s Holland or reigning world champions Spain, both of whom are expected to battle for top spot in a group which also includes Australia and dark horses Chile.
