Britain vs. Brazil: Brazilians to Watch Who Will Be Key to Gold-Medal Push

Gold is the Brazilians’ to lose.

A Great Britain vs. Brazil international friendly match will mark some of both teams' final preparations for the 2012 Olympics.

While the British boast a talented team, Brazil is simply on another level. If they aren’t the last squad standing, it would be an absolute shock.

The sides face off on Friday, July 20 at 2:45 p.m. ET. Here are the Brazilians to watch that will be key to winning the gold medal that's within their grasp. 

4. Hulk

Hulk is one of Brazil’s three over-age selections. As a veteran of the squad, there will be extra pressure on him to succeed. He has more than enough talent to justify his roster spot, though.

Back in May, in a friendly match against Denmark, Hulk put Brazil on his back by scoring two goals in a 3-1 victory. He’s a major part of the offensive attack that’s expected to be unstoppable in London.

3. Rafael

While Brazil’s strikers receive most of the hype, they won’t win gold without an All-World effort from their goalkeeper Rafael. He’s one of the many Brazilians that dominated the U.S. national team back in late May.

While the Americans launched more shots than Brazil in the contest, Rafael proved to be the superior goalie by recording five saves. In 15 starts for Santos this year, he’s racked up 37 saves and his squad is 9-3-3 with him in the net.

2. Marcelo

Marcelo is another of Brazil’s over-age selections. However, while Hulk looks to lead the Brazilian offensive onslaught, Marcelo will look to keep the shots on goal that Rafael is forced to deal with to a minimum.

The defender is a member of the football juggernaut that is Real Madrid. Having said that, while Marcelo is a top-notch defensive talent, he’s capable of putting a dent in the scoreboard as well. He recorded four goals and nine assists for the Spanish champions last season.

1. Neymar

Neymar is the talk of the football world at the Olympics.

The 20-year-old has drawn comparisons to Pele. With all eyes on him, Neymar must live up to the hype.

Like Rafael, he also currently plays for Santos and has scored 21 goals in 19 starts for the club this year. He also put on a show against the U.S. national team in May. He recorded one goal and two assists, single-handedly putting the game out of reach.

Look for Neymar to blow up.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

Follow @TheRealDDaniels