Great Britain vs. Brazil: Players to Watch During Epic Olympic Friendly Matchup

Great Britain and Brazil will clash on Friday (2:45 p.m. ET) in a pre-Olympics friendly showdown that the yellow and blue are surely favorites to win.

Team Great Britain has not competed in men's football at the Summer Olympics since 1960, while Brazil won the bronze medal in Beijing four years ago.

Unfortunately for head coach Stuart Pearce and Great Britain, the Brazilians have never won Olympic gold and will be hungry to prove they are capable of doing so against the host on Friday. 

Neymar

The sensational 20-year-old has scored nine times in twice as many games for the Brazilian national team, and he is arguably the world's top footballer, among the ranks of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Neymar will provide entertainment for Brazilian and casual football fans on Friday, but more so nightmares for the British supporters at England's Riverside Stadium. Neymar has one goal and two assists so far in 2012 international friendly matchups, and he will look to add to his total leading up to the Olympic Games.

Daniel Sturridge

The 22-year-old star scored 13 goals for Chelsea last season during all competitions, but he remains a question mark coming into the 2012 London Olympics "after being diagnosed with viral meningitis," according to a SkySports.com report. 

Great Britain manager Stuart Pearce could potentially play Sturridge on Friday against Brazil to see what kind of fitness level his young striker is at.

"He looks very good, to be fair. Obviously, we are hoping to play him in some part of the game tomorrow, and really make a final judgment call at that stage." via SkySports.com

Sturridge's goal-scoring threat would be a huge addition and boost for Team Great Britain as they attempt to bring home the gold medal as Olympic hosts in 2012. 

Hulk

The beefy Brazilian attacker has two goals on eight shots in three 2012 international friendly matchups. Contrary to Neymar though, Hulk uses his strength to out-muscle the competition in the final third and overwhelm defenses.

The 25-year-old currently plays for FC Porto in the Portuguese Liga, but he is coming on strong as one of the globally-recognized stars of the sport. If football fans have not yet seen Hulk in action, they won't want to miss Friday's matchup with Great Britain, which should provide Brazil with a great opportunity to display their world-class talent. 

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