Brazil gets its big day against Egypt while Belarus and New Zealand will face-off. Which teams are favorites to win their respective matches?
Brazil Vs. Egypt 2:45 p.m. ET
Aside from Spain, no other team comes into the tournament with a bigger spotlight following them around. Brazil has never won a gold medal at the Olympic Games and this seems like their best chance in a while to make it happen. Superstar Neymar has made a habit of opening his mouth often, but has backed it up with tremendous play. 9 goals in 9 games while qualifying for the tournament is an example of said play. But the team does not start and end with Neymar. His supporting cast includes Thiago Silva, Romulo, Sandro, Ganso, Damaio, Pato, and Lucas. Any of these guys can steal the show at any moment, but Neymar must shine brightest if this team is going all the way to the gold. Their chances are limited a bit by the untimely injury to goalkeeper Rafael, but Brazil should be able to make up for it with strong depth at that position.
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MENEZES Mano |
Egypt barely made it to the games as they alternated wins and losses through the qualifying tournament. The nation has surely seen better times on the International stage and their seeding into a relatively wide open group surely gives them a chance to redeem their poor standing over the last few years. Strikers Ahmed Sherwida and Marwan Mohsen both top-scored with three goals apiece in qualifying and will be relied on to give the Baby Pharaohs the boost they need in this tournament.
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RAMZY Hany |
Prediction: 4-1 Brazil. Brazil starts their tournament with the flair and offensive prowess everyone is expecting.
Belarus Vs. New Zealand 2:45 p.m. ET
The Belarusians have never appeared in the finals of a major tournament, making London 2012 a historic tournament for them. They won only two of five matches in qualifying but have already proven to be a promising side in other international tournament qualifiers. Alexei Voronkov is the centerpiece of their team and will be relied upon to add more than the 2 goals he scored in the qualifying tournament. No one thinks much of Belarus in this tournament, but that could work to their advantage as they try to make a name for themselves.
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KONDRATYEV Georgy |
Like Belarus, New Zealand is also on the upswing in the soccer world after making a debut in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 World Cup. They can only get better with the addition of Tommy Smith, Chris Wood, Kosta Barbarouses and Marco Rojas, all of which did not play in the qualifying tournament. New Zealand won all four of its matches in that tournament.
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EMBLEN Neil |
Prediction: 2-1 New Zealand. The Kiwis get a win over the Belarusians in an exciting match. Chris Wood will be the difference in this match.
To Watch the Live Streams for Brazil Vs. Egypt 2:45 PM, click HERE.**
To Watch the Live Streams for New Zealand Vs. Belarus 2:45 PM, click HERE.**
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