Neymar and co. will be hoping to fire on all cylinders against a New Zealand outfit who must win at all costs.
Brazil may have already secured passage into the quarter-finals of the Olympic Games, but will still be looking to overcome New Zealand on Wednesday in order to finish top of Group C and to maintain their perfect record.
The South Americans kicked off their campaign with a narrow 3-2 victory over Egypt last week, before going on to beat Belarus 3-1 in Manchester on Sunday.
Their third and final group game sees them up against a New Zealand side who have only managed a single point from two games, and will bow out of the competition unless they claim maximum points against the Brazilians.
This seems highly unlikely, not only because Brazil are one of only two teams who remain with a perfect record so far, but because the South Americans count with a star-studded squad, which includes the likes of Neymar, Pato, Lucas, Hulk, Oscar and Thiago Silva.
Brazil, who are everyone's favourites to win the gold medal, have yet to reach fifth gear, but even so they have demonstrated that they are definitely the team to beat.
What increases Brazil's chances of triumphing is the fact that stand-out player Neymar has managed to live up to the expectation, as was the case on Sunday, when he fired home a spectacular free-kick to lead Brazil to a much-deserved victory.
However, with Brazil already in the quarter-finals, it is unknown whether Mano Menezes will field his strongest side, or decide to rest certain players like the Santos star.
Neil Emblen, the coach of New Zealand, doesn't count with this luxury, as his side have no choice but to beat the Brazilians in order to remain with any chances of progressing to the next phase of the competition.
New Zealand, who drew 1-1 with Egypt on Sunday, have yet to win a game in the Olympics, despite having participated in two tournaments. Unfortunately they are unlikely to change this statistic at St. James Park on Wednesday.
The South Americans kicked off their campaign with a narrow 3-2 victory over Egypt last week, before going on to beat Belarus 3-1 in Manchester on Sunday.
Their third and final group game sees them up against a New Zealand side who have only managed a single point from two games, and will bow out of the competition unless they claim maximum points against the Brazilians.
This seems highly unlikely, not only because Brazil are one of only two teams who remain with a perfect record so far, but because the South Americans count with a star-studded squad, which includes the likes of Neymar, Pato, Lucas, Hulk, Oscar and Thiago Silva.
Brazil, who are everyone's favourites to win the gold medal, have yet to reach fifth gear, but even so they have demonstrated that they are definitely the team to beat.
What increases Brazil's chances of triumphing is the fact that stand-out player Neymar has managed to live up to the expectation, as was the case on Sunday, when he fired home a spectacular free-kick to lead Brazil to a much-deserved victory.
However, with Brazil already in the quarter-finals, it is unknown whether Mano Menezes will field his strongest side, or decide to rest certain players like the Santos star.
Neil Emblen, the coach of New Zealand, doesn't count with this luxury, as his side have no choice but to beat the Brazilians in order to remain with any chances of progressing to the next phase of the competition.
New Zealand, who drew 1-1 with Egypt on Sunday, have yet to win a game in the Olympics, despite having participated in two tournaments. Unfortunately they are unlikely to change this statistic at St. James Park on Wednesday.
