After a terrific display in the group stage of the 2013 Confederations Cup, Brazil will take on South American rivals Uruguay. La Celeste presents a number of challenges for the Samba Kings, but there are many reasons to believe that Brazil will make its way to the finals.
Home Field
Heading into this tournament, uncertainty surrounded the host nation. Could they play a cohesive system? Could their best stars come together and lead the team? Could the home fans lift the squad? All of these questions have been answered with affirmations; the latter one has proven decisive. The hosts have put on a show for their fans and have looked better than they have in the last few years. Look for Brazil to continue feeding off of a raucous crowd and take down Uruguay.
Superior Speed
One of the reasons that the Brazilians have been successful in the first three games has been the team's overall speed. The Samba Kings ran out to quick goals in their opening matches against Japan and Mexico because their opponents were bewildered by the pace that the Brazilians came out with. In the third match against Italy, Brazil had a number of chances to score in the first minute of play but was denied by some great goaltending from Gianluigi Buffon; Italy was so overwhelmed by the Brazilian onslaught that it failed to leave its own half in the first three minutes of play. Brazil's speed eventually made the Italian side pay, particularly on their third goal when striker Fred outraced two Italian defenders to a loose ball in the box.
Uruguay has not showcased a great deal of cohesion in the group stage against tough opponents like Spain and Nigeria. Despite winning the latter game, Uruguay seemed unable to keep up with the Africans' speed for extended stretches in the match. Brazil plays with a similar pace but employs greater skill in the process.
Neymar
No superstar has fit the bill better than Neymar has in this tournament. Formerly booed by his fans prior to the tournament, the 21-year old has dazzled in every single game for his squad and has been a major reason for Brazil's terrific play. He scored two terrific volley goals in the first matches before connecting on a free kick against Italy; the latter goal gave his team a 2-1 lead that it would never relinquish. Despite the beauty of the goals, his most memorable play has been the splitting of the Mexican defenders to set up the second goal against Brazil.
Uruguay's stars have played well, but Neymar has proven to have the ability to change a game in his team's favor. Look for him to do it again on Wednesday.
Read Why Uruguay Will Win HERE.