Brazil vs. Belarus: Start Time, Live Stream, TV Info, Preview for Olympics Match

Football is under way in London, and the Brazilian squad's quest for its first ever Olympic gold continues against Belarus.

Both countries came away with wins in their first matches in Group C play, though each showed flaws nonetheless. Belarus' attack never quite got going against New Zealand, while Brazil's defense turned into a sieve in the second half against Egypt.

Was Belarus' grind-it-out victory a portentous sign for a sputtering Brazil, or will head coach Mano Menezes' squad get back on track and take sole possession of the Group C lead?

Where: Old Trafford, Manchester, England

When: 10:00 a.m. ET

Live Stream: NBC Olympics Live Extra

TV Info: MSNBC

A Mixed Bag to Start

The Brazilian attack flourished early on due to the incomparably creative tandem of Oscar and Neymar.

In the 16th minute, Oscar dropped a near-perfect ball into the box, allowing Rafael to send it in off the far post for a 1-0 lead. Just 10 minutes later, Oscar hustled for possession at Egypt's end of the pitch and kicked it back to Leandro by the penalty spot.

Neymar poured it on in the 30th minute. After dazzling Egyptian defenders off the dribble for a half hour, the young forward worked his way into the box before passing to Hulk on the wing. From the end line, Hulk crossed it back in to Neymar, who headed it in to build Brazil's lead to 3-0.

At the start of the second half, Egypt was down three and looking lifeless. But in a scramble following a free kick in the 52nd minute, Mohamed Aboutrika got the ball on net and beat Neto, who was making his Brazilian national team debut in goal.

Neto looked out of sorts as Egypt peppered him with chances in the second half, though he had no play on a beautiful strike by Mohamed Salah from the edge of the box, cutting the lead to one. Egypt took a few more runs at the net, but Brazil was ultimately able to stave off the furious comeback and escape with the 3-2 win.

Brazil was expected to breeze through Group C, with Egypt the only team that could give them any semblance of a challenge. With the way Neto and the defense played, however, this squad does have to remember to keep its guard up.

A Workmanlike Display

There was nothing fancy about Belarus' victory over New Zealand, just a healthy dose of composure and conservative play.

Head coach Georgy Kondratiev was right to approach New Zealand this way, as his opponent came out with colorful yet undisciplined play. Though Belarus is no stalwart, they were able to control the first half with stout defense and deliberate ball movement.

As the first half was winding to a close, Belarus finally broke through on a set-piece. New Zealand keeper Michael O'Keeffe missed on the punch attempt, and Dmitry Baga capitalized with a header to give his squad a 1-0 advantage.

The second half proved tougher for Belarus, as New Zealand began to pressure more in its offensive end. Yet, though Belarus fell behind in the possession battle, it was able to stymie New Zealand's execution. Keeper Aleksandr Gutor and the defense held off the push and turned in a clean sheet to preserve the 1-0 result.

With that, Belarus sees a real chance to make its way out of group play. Picking up a point, or more, against Brazil would go a long way for a squad that has considerably more modest expectations.

Prediction

Brazil may have struggled against Egypt, but Belarus is the perfect opponent for Menezes to address his team's problems.

Against such a weak offensive group, Neto will have an opportunity to settle down and Menezes will be able to tinker with the defense to give his keeper a bigger cushion. On the offensive end, Brazil is too electrifying and too talented for Belarus to contain, even if Menezes dials back the attack a bit.

Menezes knows how to fix this, and Brazil will bounce back with a 2-0 win. With that, Brazil will clinch a spot in the knockout rounds, while Belarus will still have more work to do against Egypt.