FIFA Confederations Cup 2013: Top Performers to Watch This Weekend

There have been some tremendous individual performances so far at the 2013 Confederations Cup.

The tournament is largely nothing more than a warm-up for the World Cup hosts, but that doesn't mean fans won't be treated to some fun football.

With little on the line, the players are under less pressure to win, and that can sometimes allow them to play a much more carefree, natural game. Their mistakes aren't going to be as magnified, so they are more willing to take risks in the attack.

Although the Confederations Cup is full of stars, here are four players you need to spotlight this weekend.

Neymar, Brazil

This is Neymar's first international tournament with the Brazil national team, and he's certainly making the most of it.

His two goals of the tournament were very well-struck volleys.

Of all the players in the tournament, the most was expected of Neymar. Fans have been hearing his name, but the only real time he's taken part in a major tournament was the FIFA Club World Cup, when his Santos team was thoroughly outclassed by Barcelona.

Now Neymar is moving to the Catalan club. With his performance in the Confederations Cup, the forward is only helping himself as people have been able to see his talents displayed on a very large scale.

Brazil have already secured their place in the knockout stage, so there's a chance Neymar won't be playing against Italy. However, the Selecao may want to finish top of the group, so Luiz Felipe Scolari may decide to field a full-strength squad on Saturday.

If so, Neymar will have a big say on how the match unfolds.

Roberto Soldado, Spain

Roberto Soldado, like the entire Spain squad, should be able to feast on a weak Tahiti squad. It's not a question of whether La Roja will, but rather if they'll score double digits.

Just how Vicente del Bosque was going to line up his Spain squad against Uruguay was a question until the team sheets were unveiled. He opted to play Soldado as a centre-forward, and the move paid off in spades as the Valencia striker scored in the 32nd minute.

Spain will almost certainly have qualified for the knockout stage by the time the day is over, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see Soldado in the squad against Nigeria.

Del Bosque has tinkered with his squad so much that he may want to see what Soldado can do over a period of time. The 28-year-old hasn't really gotten a great chance to make an impression. Cesc Fabregas, Fernando Torres and David Villa have been the centre-forward choices in the past.

Soldado may be able to secure his place in the 2014 squad with a strong performance in the Confederations Cup.

Gianluigi Buffon, Italy

The Italians have had some defensive problems in the Confederations Cup. There was the sloppy penalty conceded to Mexico in the first match, and then the three goals surrendered to Japan in Wednesday's match.

The Azzurri will also be without one of their best defensive players, Daniele De Rossi, after he picked up a yellow card against Japan.

That means more will be resting in the hands of Gianluigi Buffon. Long one of the best keepers in the world, the Italian No. 1 is still going strong at 35 years old.

While he's fallen off a bit, Buffon is still capable of making some mind-blowing saves. Without his strong performance, Italy would likely have been looking at a defeat against Japan.

With as strong as Brazil has been in the attack, Italy will need everything they've got to keep Brazil out of the net. Buffon will have to continue making some impressive saves if Italy are to come out with a victory.

Luis Suarez, Uruguay

Uruguay were largely unorganized and ineffective against Spain in their first match. Luis Suarez's 88th-minute goal was the lone bright spot in a 2-1 loss. At least he managed to make the free kick look very pretty.

Suarez is one of the most hated players on the planet, but there's no denying his talent. At his best, the 26-year-old is irresistible on the pitch. He makes the kind of darting runs through a defense that only a handful of players are capable of.

Uruguay have struggled since winning the 2011 Copa America. As Diego Forlan has gotten older and less equipped to handle an important role in the team, Edinson Cavani has not been able to pick up the slack.

The same can't be said of Suarez. He's scored eight goals in 10 World Cup qualifying appearances.

If Uruguay are going to get past Nigeria, Suarez will need to continue his impressive run of form. Then against Tahiti, he could easily score four or five goals in what will most likely be a must-win game.