Tonight at 6:00 p.m. at Maracana Stadium in Brazil, all eyes in the soccer world will be turned on the FIFA Confederations Cup, where powerhouses Spain and Italy will play in one of the juiciest matchups of the year. The game will be televised on ESPN at 5:30 p.m., and can be live streamed here.
Spain, the favorite in this tournament, was dragged through the ringer in their semifinal battle with Italy, that ended in a win on penalty kicks. Brazil, in their semifinal matchup, topped Uruguay 2-1.
If Brazil is to topple Spain, their biggest star, Neymar, will have to shine under the bright lights. He was sold to FC Barcelona a few weeks ago, and his move has generated strong reactions throughout the football world, both positive and negative.
While he's been doubted by many because of a perceived lack of top-level competition, Neymar has scored goals in three of Brazil's for Confederation Cup matches. He is ranked third in scoring and first in assists, and is a finalist for the Golden Ball, given to the tournament's most outstanding player.
Spain will try to limit his ability to affect the game, by controlling the match's pace. Spain runs a brutally efficient system, in which they control the ball for long stretches of time, disrupting opponents' flow.
Another roadblock to Neymar's brilliance will be Spain's goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Casillas and the Spaniards have only allowed one goal in the entire tournament, and that came on a free kick.
One of the reasons this matchup is a soccer dream, is that it will be a glimpse into Neymar's future in Barcelona, where he will face stiff competition like this on a regular basis.
For Brazil's sake he must be ready to handle the step up, or else they could be throttled by Spain.
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