England and Brazil face off in a highly anticipated friendly on Sunday that will showcase the state of both soccer nations. The Brazilians are gearing up for a chance to defend their Confederations Cup crown from 2009 while the English side is looking to reassert itself on the international scene.
The player to garner most spotlight in the match will be recent Barcelona acquisition Neymar. The 21-year old Brazilian has been criticized for his subpar performances with his national side and Sunday will be a huge opportunity for him to prove his worth. Neymar spoke to the media and frankly stated his opinion on his opponents.
"It's a big game for us on Sunday because we want to open the new stadium with a win," he said. "The most important thing is we impress the coach though. There are only 11 places in the team for the opening game at the World Cup and each player needs to prove to the coach he's worth being in one of those places."
Regarding England, Neymar openly stated that he did not see the Three Lions as a major threat.
"I have respect for a lot of the England players as they have achieved great things at their clubs," Neymar stated in an interview with The Sun. "But, as a national team, I don't look at England and think they are going to be a real threat at the World Cup."
He added, "We want to win the World Cup in front of our home fans and the two nations I look at as a real threat are Germany and Spain. After that it's a group including Argentina, Holland, Italy and one or two more. But England I don't even think about."
The English players will likely use this as fuel in what should be a hotly contested match.
Predictions: Brazil wins 2-1; Neymar scores a goal.
Start Time: 3 PM EST
TV: beIN Sport
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