YESTERDAY I made the worst prediction since Alan Hansen said: "You win nothing with kids."

As Brazil kicked off against Costa Rica I confidently announced to anyone who could be bothered to listen that the game would be a stroll in the park with the two sides taking it easy and having a 0-0, possibly 1-1 draw.

My reasoning was impeccable. With big games ahead Brazil would play within themselves, conserving energy.

Also, a point for Costa Rica would eliminate Turkey who gave them a few nervy moments when they met in the group stages.

How wrong can one man be?

Ninety minutes, seven goals and countless chances later my predicted bore draw was over and I was absolutely exhausted.

This was fantasy football at its very best.

The commentary was turned down in the office but it was easy to fill in for Barry Davies.

I have no doubt the talk was of Samba rhythms, Brazilliant football, going nuts and golden boys. If not why not?

If ever there was a chance to eulogise this was it. The football was breath-taking, thrilling, pulsating, exhilarating and any number of other glowing adjectives you can think of.

And it was not just Brazil, Costa Rica more than played their part.

Their fans could justifiably sing the anthem used by Barnsley fans as they went up to the Premiership. It really was "just like watching Brazil".

There were more chances in that one game than in all England's group games put together and that is why there is a chink of light for whoever plays Brazil later in the tournament.

That, of course, could be England if they can beat Denmark, something that cannot be taken for granted.

For any lover of football the Brazil match with Costa Rica is a must view game but I just hope that Sven has kept his players away from it. If you actually have to stop Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Juninho, Cafu, etc, etc, then it must be like video nasty.

Let's face it, when you have your centre half bursting forward, laying the ball off and then hammering home bicycle kicks. It would never have happened in Jack Charlton's day!

But we have seen all this before from Brazil, the classic example being 1982. No one who saw the great team of Zico, Junior, Socrates and Eder, apart perhaps the owners of Italian restaurants and pizza parlours, was in any doubt that they were the best in the world.

That may have been the case but they still lost a classic match to the Azzurri, with Paolo Rossi the hat-trick hero.

So England (or Denmark) need not panic and I can already picture the headline over the match report.

How does "BRAZIL FOUNDER ON ROCK OF RIO" sound. You read it here first!