Brazil vs Uruguay: Players to Watch

Italy and Spain promise an intriguing matchup, but it’s hard to envision a better match than the one we’ll see Wednesday between Brazil and Uruguay.

Two-thirds of the South American powerhouse trio of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, the two World Cup champions are set to face off in the semifinals of the Confederations Cup with a lot at stake. Fortunately, both teams are playing tremendous football right now.

The hosts have cruised through the tournament without much resistance, besting Japan and Mexico with clean sheets and Italy by a final tally of 4-2. Likewise, Uruguay advanced to the semifinals without much trouble, their lone loss coming at the hands of Spain in a 2-1 duel.

Both sides are capable of netting plenty of goals, and this match could prove to be a tremendous shootout featuring some incredible talent.

Let’s take a look at three of the most talented players to take the pitch in this match and highlight why each is a player to watch as Brazil and Uruguay face off Wednesday.

Luis Suarez, Uruguay

As if anyone needs another reason to watch Luis Suarez.

The striker became Uruguay’s all-time leading scorer with two scoring strikes in the team’s 8-0 win over Tahiti in the group stage, and he’ll look to carry that over into Uruguay’s match with Brazil on Wednesday.

Suarez is a tremendously talented attacker who finishes as well as anyone in the world. While he came off the bench to net his two goals on Sunday, don’t expect the Uruguayan side to let him rest up against the Confederations Cup hosts.

With Brazil’s tremendous firepower, Uruguay have to be aggressive and coordinated on their attack. Suarez will play a big role in doing that.

David Luiz will find himself matched up with the star striker, and there may not be a more intriguing individual battle to watch in this contest. Luiz loves to play physical—albeit sometimes dirty—defense, while Suarez is no stranger to giving it right back.

If Luiz gets under Suarez’s skin, the latter could completely disappear from the match in a hurry. Should Suarez get the upper hand, Uruguay could find themselves with an early lead courtesy of his elite finishing ability.

Neymar, Brazil

The Confederations Cup isn’t lacking in talent. Neymar may be at the top of that list.

The Brazilian striker is as exciting a player as anyone in the tournament, highlighted by his terrific footwork, quickness and explosive finishing ability. While some have questioned his readiness to complete in big international contests, that shortcoming hasn’t shown up in the tournament.

The 21-year-old has scored a goal in each of Brazil’s three Confederations Cup matches, three times being named Man of the Match. In two of those three contests, Neymar notched a goal in less than 10 minutes, setting the tempo for the host side in the early going.

Uruguay may field a better duo of scorers in Suarez and Edinson Cavani, but there’s no denying which player with garner the most attention on Wednesday. If Uruguay can’t shut down Neymar, Brazil will be well on their way to a Confederations Cup finals berth.

Edinson Cavani, Uruguay

Cavani has been the subject of countless rumours as he faces a potential club switch this summer, but he won’t be focused on that Wednesday.

The 26-year-old makes up the other half of Uruguay’s incredible attack, making it nearly impossible for opponents to shut down both players. Suarez may have his hands full, though, meaning Cavani will have to step up to balance out Uruguay’s attack.

The Napoli striker has notched 78 goals in 104 Serie A appearances, proving he is capable of finishing as well as any player in the sport. Against Brazil, he won’t have the luxury of missing out on opportunities to make his mark.

Brazil’s back line has been terrific throughout the tournament, but it will have a hard time keeping tabs on both Cavani and Suarez. Should the latter run into problems, Cavani will be the man to balance things out.

If Uruguay pull off an upset in this match, expect Cavani to be the biggest reason for it.