Great Britain vs. Brazil: Friendly Will Provide Clue to Britain's Olympic Fate

Great Britain has high hopes entering the Olympics, but the expectations are going to come crashing to a halt if they are embarrassed by Brazil in a friendly Friday in Middlesbrough.

It is true that Great Britain hasn’t been to the Olympics since 1960, but that means nothing now. They have expectations to advance deep into the tournament, and if everything falls right, they could land some sort of medal.

Coach Stuart Pearce’s team will sport five Welsh players. They will be without David Beckham, but they will have the 38-year-old Ryan Giggs, who was named the captain of the squad. This is his last go-around, and he will serve as an inspiration throughout these Olympic Games for Team GB.

But back to Brazil.

They are one the favorites to win the gold medal and are not going to let up just because it’s a friendly match. That’s exactly what Pearce wants for his squad (via The Mirror):

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When the game was put to me - 'Do we want to take Brazil or do we want to take somebody on who, on paper, are slightly lesser?' I said I was more than happy to take Brazil on. I think it’s the perfect game for us, it sharpens the focus and it does my job for me, to be honest with you.

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There is no question they are going to have their hands full with the Brazilians, who notched a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

With one-named stars such as Hulk, Juan and Ganso set to control the action, the British will have to avoid costly turnovers and take what the defense gives them.

It will be up to Premier League stars such as Craig Bellamy, Micah Richards and Daniel Sturridge to control the time of possession battle. They need to limit opportunities for the Brazilians and take full advantage of even the slightest opportunity to slip one past the keeper.

Easier said than done.

Odds are Team GB isn’t going to win. There’s an outside chance they are able to land a draw, but that’s not the point. Great Britain needs to play like a team with nothing to lose in an attempt to become more familiar with teammates and formations.

Chemistry building is what’s important here, and a 3-0 defeat is not going to give the players much hope of advancing past their group stage.

The Brits have a shot to do some real damage in Group A against the likes of Uruguay, Senegal and United Arab Emirates. They need to enter the competition with momentum to truly feel mentally prepared for the matches and make up for the significant experience disadvantage they will have.

History can be made with the home crowd cheering Great Britain on, and the building blocks of that can be created with a strong showing on Friday against one of the best. 

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