Right Field: What a difference a year makes

Considering humanity dates back more than 50,000 years, one of those years would be little more than a ripple in the annals of mankind. A mere 365 days out of more than 18 million is all that 2014 was. And yet so much has changed in so little time.

One year ago Brazil were the foremost footballing power on the face of the earth. Of the previous 19 World Cup finals, they had played in the championship game seven times, winning an unprecedented five. When 2014 began it looked to all intents and purposes like they would add one more title.

The World Cup was set to be played in Brazil for the first time since 1950 and the home team were installed as among the favourites. The event was billed as the official coming out party for the new Brazil, a dynamic and growing country anxious to show the world how sophisticated and modern it had become.

One year later the mystique of Brazilian football magic has been almost irreparably shattered thanks to the embarrassing showing by the national team. A 7-1 thrashing by a powerful German squad in the semi-finals was beyond a national nightmare - it was completely incomprehensible.

The country had controversially spent US$11 billion to host the World Cup and this is what they had to show for their money?

One year ago Brazil was among the fastest-growing economies in the world, thanks to its extensive natural resources and a booming agriculture and manufacturing sector. Today their currency is in free fall, economic growth is negligible and inflation and government debt is spiralling out of control, thanks in part to systemic corruption.

The good news is Brazil gets to welcome the world all over again in 11/2 years' time at the 2016 Summer Olympics Games in Rio De Janeiro.

The bad news is, despite the dire turn in their economy and government coffers being bare, they are still on the hook for the 2016 Games.

One year ago Russian President Vladimir Putin was pretty damn proud of himself. He was about to welcome the world to the 2014 Winter Olympics, a spectacle that cost US$51 billion. Considering the Summer Olympics in London in 2012 cost US$14 billion and featured a record 204 nations as opposed to 88 in Sochi, the cost was staggering. But the money was secondary because, once again, this event would be the official coming out party for the new Russia and Putin's dynamic vision for the former superpower.

One year ago, the Russian ice hockey team were still a legendary and mythical force that had once dominated internationally like none before. They would be the showcase for Putin's showcase and all their best players were coming home to help restore puckish pride. Today they are a national embarrassment, a fractious and uninspiring group who were eliminated in a 3-1 loss to Finland in the quarter-finals.

One year ago the price for a barrel of crude oil was at US$95 on its way to US$105. Today it is at US$55 and the Russian economy is in ruins. The rouble is now rubble and a system built on blatant cronyism and corruption is on the verge of collapse. One year ago the Crimean Peninsula was still part of an autonomous republic of the Ukraine. Today it has been annexed by Russian aggression, resulting in crippling sanctions by the international community.

The good news is Russia gets to welcome the world all over again in 31/2 years' time at the 2018 World Cup. The bad news is, despite the dire turn in their economy and government coffers being bare, they are still on the hook for the 2018 World Cup.

In fairness to Brazil and Russia, both were efficient and successful hosts who showcased a number of state-of-the-art facilities. Naturally, there were glitches and inevitable issues, but those are common for any Olympic or World Cup host. Still, thanks to the sheer scope of their ambitions and the resulting impact on their countries and the international community, all the other sport stories of 2014 were basically dwarfed by those of Brazil and Russia.

What happens next in sport, and the world at large, in 2015 is anybody's guess. Don't let the legion of so-called peerless prognosticators fool you because, simply put, predictions are for chumps. None of us have any idea what the world will look like in 365 days' time, least of all our friends in Brazil and Russia.