Brazil looks great ... for now

What Brazil did in beating defending World Cup champion Spain 3-0 in Sunday's Confederations Cup final in Rio De Janeiro was certainly impressive. The first goal by Fred less than two minutes into the contest was simply brilliant. And the other two weren't bad, either. (Note: commentary is in Portuguese ... I think.)

But before we hand Brazil next year's World Cup trophy, too, let's note some historical facts that the 2014 host country must overcome to supplant the Spainards.

• Winning the Confederations Cup hasn't helped Brazil end its 11-year World Cup title drought. In fact, Brazil hasn't even reached the semifinals since 2002. That may be difficult to believe given all the talent possessed by the Brazilians, but it's true.

• The last host country to win the World Cup was France in 1998. In all, only six out of the 19 host nations have won the title.
  
• The last time Brazil hosted the World Cup (1950), Uruguay beat the Brazilians in the final. FYI: Uruguay placed fourth at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and in this year's Confederations Cup. They're not far off from winning the whole thing.

Will Brazil be a dangerous team at next year's World Cup? Absolutely. But, will Brazil win the World Cup? I wouldn't bet Maracana Stadium on it. Spain is better than what they showed in the Confederations Cup final, Italy and Uruguay both look strong and you can never rule out Germany, Portugal or the Netherlands.

Nice job today, Brazil. Let's see what you do next year, though.