After winning the Confederations Cup for the third time, Brazil appears ready and set for the next year’s World Cup on home turf. But are they really? The Confederations Cup allowed Brazil to show the world what they are still capable of producing magic on the pitch, but if Selecao are looking for their sixth World Cup title next year, the young Brazilian battalion still has a mountain to climb.

Is the "Wonder Boy" a leader?

Neymar was clearly the star of the Brazilian squad in the tournament. He was awarded the Adidas Golden Ball and was named as the MVP of the tournament. His flamboyant dribbles and passes from the left flank were a pleasure to watch, and the worst nightmare for anybody defending him. In the Confederations Cup, the Wonder Boy was, without a doubt, unstoppable. Yet, his seemingly pleasing performances throughout five matches left slight hints of concerns over whether Neymar can step up a gear during the World Cup.

Nobody on this world would doubt the talents and the skill sets that the 21-year-old possesses. However, his ability to lead the brigade will definitely face a sterner test from now on. In his previous home club, Santos F.C., Neymar never led the team single-handedly to a major title. Not only has Santos F.C. fallen short of being among the Top 3 teams in Serie A in past 5 seasons, but it has only won regional titles for two years. Although Santos F.C. won the Copa Libertadores de America in 2011, there were star players alongside Neymar, such as Ganso and Elano, to help him out on the offensive side. His new home, F.C. Barcelona, also has a squad that is brimming with names of star players. In Barcelona, there will be no need for Neymar to lead a team alone. Unfortunately, Neymar’s status in the Brazilian national team is drastically different. Instead of blending as one of the brightest stars on the pitch for his team, he is accoladed as “the shining star” of Canarinha. In Barcelona, Neymar can rely on Xavi, Iniesta and Messi to set up attacking plays. On the national team, he has to be the instigator himself. Whether he can carry the team on his shoulder regardless of the immense pressure is still a mystery waiting to be solved.

Monotonous Offense

Certainly, Neymar gives a magical touch to the flowing Samba football. But Brazil risks over-relying on Neymar’s flair. From what we saw in Confederations Cup, most of Brazil’s offensive plays started from breaking down the opponent’s defense from the left flank by using Neymar’s dribbles. It works out when Neymar is on fire, but what happens when Neymar is shut down? So far, we cannot see anybody who is capable of standing up to carry the responsibility of initiating the team’s offense in the Brazilian squad. Fred was a close runner-up for the Golden Boots award, but he is not a creator of opportunities, but rather an opportunist. Oscar creates chances, but he seems to buckle down under pressure due to young age as well as his “soft” playing style. After his move to bigger European stage, there will definitely be more managers, coaches and analysts scrutinizing Neymar’s playing style. When they find a way to shut Neymar down, Brazil could be in deep trouble.

Moreover, if Selecao were to rely Neymar to create magic every time, they need to keep in mind the (in)efficiency of Neymar’s scoring ability that the statistics show. In the tournament, Neymar attempted a total of 16 shots, more than anybody else. But he only managed to convert four of them to goals. As a world class striker, a 25 percent success rate is barely acceptable. The fact that Neymar prefer holding on to balls can also put his teammates under stress over time.

Sluggish Defense

Throughout the entire tournament, the Brazilian defensive line showed multiple occasions where they seemed to lose their concentration. Especially, from what we have seen in the match against Uruguay, the solid defense turned into a “jelly” within a matter of seconds, even with the lead of the captain Thiago Silva. No one knows for sure when would be the next Brazilian "defense deflation", but with two wing backs in Marcelo and Daniel Alves pushing forward frequently, it is a time bomb waiting to explode. 

Polish needed to match determination

With less than a year left until the World Cup on Brazil’s home turf kicks off, Brazil is determined to winning back the championship trophy.

“Obviously we had to start a new cycle, and in response to that we drew up a strategic plan,” Brazilian manager Carlos Parreira explained to FIFA.com. “When you’ve got 15 straight days to prepare for a tournament, you can start to see a tactical plan coming together. You can work on details and bring back experienced players who were out of favor, but whom we knew had potential.”

Brazil has less than a year to perfect the strategy and assemble the team that can bring back the World Cup Trophy. Although Selecao have no more competitive matches left before the World Cup begins due to its host country status, the young players seem to be focused on victories more than ever. “The tournament showed that we’re one of the best teams on the planet, but that’s not the objective," Oscar said. "Winning the World Cup is."

Staff Writer Taiu Kunimoto can be reached here.