A winning formula requires not only the best players, coaches, and a good combination of skill and luck. A team's kit, research has shown, can give it an edge. Particularly if it's red. Iain Greenlees, a sports psychologist with the University of Chichester in England, has co-authored research papers concluding that both penalty takers and goalkeepers benefit from being decked out in ruby regalia. The studies suggest that players in red jerseys are viewed as more dominant and skilled -- both by themselves and by opponents who may be more anxious and perform less well as a result. One theory is that humans have evolved to associate red with danger, being the colour of blood, or with aggression -- think of a face reddened in anger. And then there is the hypothesis that red is more visible and draws an opponent's attention, breaking their focus. There is certainly anecdotal evidence for scarlet success. The English football team, which traditionally plays home games in white, won its only World Cup title in its red "away" kit at Wembley Stadium in 1966 against white-shirted West Germany. Some of the country's top football clubs -- Liverpool and Manchester United for example -- play in red. But this does not explain the phenomenon that is Brazil.