Brazil vs. England: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

Brazil welcomes England to the home of the 2014 World Cup for a star-studded friendly. Both nations have high hopes one year out from the marquee international football event. The match will serve as an early preview of what to expect next summer.

The Brazilians are using the friendly, and one next week against France, as preparation for the Confederations Cup later in the month. The event is a chance for the country to see how it stands with the World Cup on the horizon and will serve as good experience for the squad.

England is still going through the process of UEFA qualifying. The Three Lions are currently two points behind Montenegro for an automatic berth. If they finish second in Group H, they will be forced to survive the playoff round to earn a spot.

The friendly should serve as a good measuring stick for both sides. With that in mind, here's a look at all the key information for the clash. It's followed by a closer examination of a couple players to watch and a match prediction.

Where: Estadio do Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

When: Sunday, June 2 at 3 p.m. ET

Watch: beIN Sport

Live Stream: beinsport.tv

Brazil Player to Watch: Neymar

All eyes will be on Neymar throughout the summer after he agreed to a five-year deal with Barcelona. The 21-year-old rising star had nothing left to prove with Santos and now must prepare for the much bigger challenge of making an impact with a top European club.

Neymar has enjoyed plenty of success with the national team. He's scored 20 goals in 32 appearances, quickly establishing himself as the focal point of the attack moving forward. No other player on the current squad has more than 10 international goals.

It will be interesting to see how he handles a matchup with a steady England defense led by Ashley Cole, who recently topped the 100-appearance mark. These are the type of back lines he can expect to face often in big matches with Barca and Brazil moving forward.

England Player to Watch: Wayne Rooney

After spending most of his season with Manchester United in a playmaking role, Rooney returned to his more natural position atop the formation against Ireland on Wednesday. The veteran striker has been helping lead the England attack for a decade.

He can expect to take on even more responsibility against Brazil. Daniel Sturridge, who's been in fine form ever since his move to Liverpool, was ruled out due to an ankle injury. It's a setback England will be happy occurred during a stretch of friendlies, and not qualifiers.

Rooney has scored 35 times for the Three Lions, including one against Brazil in a friendly at Wembley earlier in the year. England won that match and needs a similar showing from Rooney if they want to get a result on the road.

Matchup to Watch: Julio Cesar vs. Joe Hart

Cesar enjoyed a resurgent season with Queens Park Rangers and now sets his focus on the No. 1 spot for Brazil. He's the most experienced goalkeeper on the roster with 67 appearances. He should get the first crack to serve as the Confederations Cup starter.

There are no such question marks for England. Hart had another solid campaign with Manchester City and, at 26, has a firm grip the top spot for the Three Lions. He can expect to see a lot of action from the Neymar-led Brazilian attack.

Both goalkeepers were among the most reliable in the Premier League. Anything less for their respective national teams would be a surprise. Expect a strong showing from both in a hard-fought match that ends in a draw. It would be an acceptable result for both sides.

Prediction

Brazil 1, England 1