Costa Rica vs. Brazil: Neymar Will Deliver Win for World Cup Hosts in Friendly

If you're seeking clairvoyant insight into the 2014 World Cup and who its biggest star will be, then allow Friday's friendly meeting between Brazil and Costa Rica be your crystal ball.

The Selecao will be ready to bounce back from a disappointingly early exit at the Copa America this past July with Neymar, the 19-year-old football phenom, leading the way.

Brazil defeated South American rival Argentina 2-0 last week in an international friendly that saw Neymar score the second goal, his sixth in 11 international appearances this year.

He will be joined by a host of Brazilians returning from abroad, including Barcelona's Dani Alves, Chelsea's David Luiz and Porto's Hulk. Those European club stars will fill out a first-team squad that more closely resembles the one that coach Mano Menezes hopes to have at his disposal when the World Cup comes to Brazil in 2014.

Neymar figures to find himself on a schedule similar to his UEFA compatriots sooner than later. The teenage striker has been the subject of intense transfer speculation two summers running, with a laundry list of European powerhouses including Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus jumping into the bidding war.

Yet each time Neymar has refused, choosing instead to stay close to home and mature with Santos, leaving vast sums of money and the opportunity to play at the highest level on the table. This is despite the insistence from his agent, Renato Rodrigues, that he wants to leave Brazil for a bigger football pond, so to speak.

In the meantime, Neymar remains firmly committed to helping Brazil claim a record sixth world championship, a long journey that will continue on Friday against Costa Rica at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa.

Costa Rican coach Jorge Luis Pinto is already well-versed in the ways of Brazilian football, having himself played for the Colombian national team back in his heyday.

That being said, Pinto and Costa Rica will need more than just a good scouting report to hold down these young Brazilians, who are heavily favored to claim victory in this match.

More important, though, is the opportunity for Neymar to strut his stuff on the international stage once again. He will be the brightest young star of the next World Cup and, as such, will play a crucial role in keeping the golden trophy in the hands of the host country when all is said and done.