Brazil kick off World Cup qualifying on Thursday, and they’ll do it without their biggest star. Neymar is out during this entire international break, thanks to a suspension he picked up at Copa América. And the Selecao don’t get to face cupcakes without him -- they face a very tough task in their first game, going away to Chile.
Brazil vs. Chile live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch World Cup qualifying online
The Selecao has to start their World Cup qualifying campaign without Neymar.
Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
The Chileans struggled in the early part of qualifying for the last World Cup, but got red hot in the second half to qualify. They’ve been on a roll since, making the knockout stages of the World Cup, then winning Copa América on their home soil by defeating Argentina in the final. They return all of their stars from those tournaments, with Alexis Sánchez and Arturo Vidal still in the prime of their careers.
Besides Neymar, Brazil are also without defender Thiago Silva, who apparently hasn’t been forgiven for his part in their World Cup debacle. The Liverpool pair of Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho has also been left off this squad. Kaká has somewhat surprisingly been called up for competitive games, even though his selection for previous friendlies was criticized as a move that pandered to sponsors.
Upset potential -- High
If Chile get all three points against Brazil, it'll make headlines across the globe, but consistent followers of South American football won't be surprised. There's no such thing as an easy road game in CONMEBOL, and this one should be extra tricky for Brazil, without Neymar and against a very good opponent.
Key player -- Douglas Costa
Costa got national team looks while he was with Shakhtar Donetsk, but recent dominant performances for Bayern Munich will give the speedy winger a chance to cement his place in the Selecao. He should start on the left wing for Brazil in this match and they’ll be depending on him to create scoring chances with his pace and dribbling ability down the flank.
Match Date/Time: Thursday, 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos, Santiago, Chile
TV: beIN Sports (U.S. and Canada), SporTV, Globo (Brazil), Fox Sports, Mega (Chile)
Online: beIN Sports Connect (U.S. and Canada)
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