Group play at the Men's soccer tournament at the Olympics 2012 will come to its conclusion on Wednesday.
Group C still has one spot available to three teams who can all qualify. Brazil has been dominant for large stretches in their last matches and is already qualified for the quarterfinals.
Brazil vs. New Zealand 9:30 a.m. EDT
The Samba Kings were tremendous in their match against Belarus with Neymar leading the way. They only need one point to secure the top spot in the group. Look for them to be aggressive against arguably the weakest team in the group.
New Zealand played a mediocre match against Egypt despite carrying a 1-0 lead for much of the match. They need a win desperately and a Belarusian loss by more than one goal to move on. They face a relentless Brazilian team that unquestionably has more talent that the Kiwis. They will rely heavily on Chris Wood who has been solid through two matches to get some offense going.
Prediction: Brazil squashes New Zealand 4-0. Neymar pads his stats and El Selecao wins the group.
Egypt vs. Belarus 9:30 a.m. EDT
The Pharaohs continued where they picked up in the second half of their match against Brazil in their 1-1 draw to New Zealand. They dominated much of the match and were unlucky to win it. They will get a chance to move on to the next round with a win over Belarus in their final group match. Unless New Zealand pulls an upset over Brazil, Egypt should be through with a win.
Belarus played decently in a victory over New Zealand before realizing how far behind they were against Brazil. They can compete with the Egyptians but must be ready to absorb the offensive prowess of the African squad. A win or draw puts them through to the next round.
Prediction: Egypt wins 2-1 and secures a spot in the quarter-finals.
Group Standings Predictions:
Brazil, 9 points, 3 wins
Egypt, 4 wins, 1 win, 1 loss, 1 draw
Belarus, 3 points, 1 win, 2 losses
New Zealand, 1 point, 1 draw, 2 losses