The number +1400 has become something of a novelty in sports betting circles. It doesn’t refer to any particular sport or event, but rather is a combination of the first two digits of the year 2014 and the last two digits of the CET (UTC+1).
If you’re unfamiliar, the 2014 World Cup was held in Brazil, and was the largest tournament in history. The odds of a Brazil win were initially set at +200, making the country a clear favorite. But as the competition drew on, oddsmakers adjusted their predictions, eventually taking Brazil’s winning odds down to just under +1400.
It’s interesting that even at these extremely high odds, some bookmakers choose to avoid taking the bet. Perhaps due to Brazil’s enormous win probability and the fact that it’s extremely unlikely to see such numbers in the official games records.
Why Choose These Numbers?
The odds might not seem too intimidating at first glance, but the story behind the numbers is pretty interesting. It starts with the Samba School of Football, also known as the Brazilian School of Football. The school was established in 1916 and named after the wildly popular dancing celebration the Samba. The school’s first director, Professor Moraes, aimed to bring football to a higher level in Brazil. He introduced football to his students, who were mainly from wealthy families, and had the facilities to support an organized sport. The students, inspired by the rhythm of the drums and the sophistication of the dance, became proficient at the sport and went on to dominate world football for several decades.
The introduction of football to Brazil was pretty groundbreaking, as it was a chance to break away from tradition and allow creative dancing and improvisation, which the art form has largely done away with. But while the dance and the drums continue to influence Brazilian culture, the sport of football remained separate.
In 2014, 70 years after the Samba School of Football was founded, it produced its first world champion. Neymar, a forward for FC Barcelona and Brazil’s greatest living football player, lifted the treble, winning the Champions League, the Copa Del Mundo and the Super Cup, netting the team a record-breaking three straight league titles. Not only is Neymar the greatest Brazilian footballer of all time, he’s also the greatest footballer ever produced by the Samba School of Football.
While it’s always great to see history being made, it’s not always great when this history is being made at such high odds. If you’re a fan of the Brazil national team, you’ll likely feel excited about the prospect of seeing Brazil win the World Cup. But maybe opt for a safer option and back the European team instead.
Choosing numbers based on historical significance is always a risk, as you never know if modern-day teams will stand up to the test of time. But it’s something that fantasy football managers have to consider whenever they want to include a certain nationality in their fantasy teams. Do you trust your team to do the right thing in the future and continue being successful? If you do, then by all means, include them! If you don’t, then it’s probably best to steer clear.
More Than Meets The Eye
If you take a closer look at the numbers, they don’t simply relate to football. They also represent various achievements in astronomy and mathematics. Let’s have a look.
The first number, +1400, is the result of multiplying 2014, the year of the World Cup, by 200, which is the European Council for Transport and Safety (CET) time zone. This means Brazil will play 70 matches (14 x 7) between June and November in order to qualify for the tournament. More than any other year, the number of matches was significant, especially as World Cups have never been held in a winter sport. But even if the matches were a week apiece, as opposed to the month-long marathon style of today’s internationals, the matches would still amount to 70.
The original plan was for the World Cup to last 64 days, with each team playing a minimum of three matches. As it was, the final ended up being the longest in World Cup history, lasting four hours and 56 minutes. While it’s still considered one of the greatest finals, the match had ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time, with Brazil ultimately winning the title thanks to a TK Romario (who scored the winning goal in the 123rd minute) and Diego’s (former Argentina) 94th minute equalizer.
The +1400 odds are also noteworthy because they were originally given as a tiebreaker for matches that were going into extra time. The second number, 4, relates to the year 4,000, the approximate number of bones in the human forearm. This is due to an obscure rule where, if a player scores an own goal in the final minute of a game that goes to extra time, the opponents are awarded four points instead of the usual two.
The last two digits of the CET time zone, +1, represent the first two digits of the year 2014 and the last two digits of the UTC time zone. The two time zones, with their shared borders, are divided by the International Date Line, with European teams playing their matches during the day and North American teams playing their matches at night. So while Brazil’s matches will be played during the day, their opponents from Europe will have to get used to the idea of playing at night and in the dark.
Odds And Ends
While it may not seem like a major detail, the World Cup format in 2014 was noteworthy for another reason. Up until that point, soccer’s world governing body, FIFA, had only ever sanctioned one other iteration of the tournament, held in 1930 in Uruguay. But for the first time ever, the World Cup was held in more than one country, with each country being represented by its own national team. For the 2014 tournament, 14 of the 24 national teams were represented, with the other 10 countries getting the chance at the World Cup in 2018.
Even more interesting is that the World Cup was originally supposed to be held in England and Wales in 2014. But because of the 2014 Englandand Wales Cup matches that had to be postponed until later in the year, the football world’s biggest showcase was instead held in Brazil.
In addition to being the globe’s biggest sporting event, the 2014 World Cup was also the first time that Twitter had ever used #worldcup for a hashtag. The hashtag was used to great effect, with users sharing their thoughts on the tournament and using it as a means of communicating with each other throughout the duration of the event.
The odds of a Brazil win in the 2014 World Cup were remarkably low, at +200. But as the tournament progressed, that number began to decline, eventually landing on a +1400, which is the result of multiplying the year 2014 by 200.
While it’s always great when your favorite team wins, it’s not always great when the odds are so high that your team might not even win. But as long as you stay up to date on the betting patterns, you can be sure that your team will perform well and put up a good fight, which is ultimately what matters most.