With the Copa America rapidly approaching, the involved teams have almost run out of time to get their tuneup friendlies in. Mexico have already had a pair of them, thumping Guatemala before struggling to a draw with Peru, while Brazil have waited until today to have their first. That extra bit of sharpness could give Mexico something of an edge in this match, at least in the early goings.
Brazil vs. Mexico live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
This Copa America warmup friendly puts a favorite against a dark horse in what should be a very, very fun match.
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Of course, Brazil are one of the favorites to win the Copa, and for good reason. They’re ludicrously talented, and even without Neymar, who just played in the Champions League final with Barcelona, they should be able to see off what’s essentially Mexico’s B team with relative ease. That said, many think the CONCACAF invitees to CONMEBOL’s biggest tournament are something of a dark horse in this year’s Copa America, so seeing how well they hold up against the elite talent of Brazil could be quite telling. Either way, with this much talent on the pitch, this match is bound to be fun.
Key player - Raul Jimenez (Mexico)
With several of Mexico's key attacking stars left at home to prepare for the Gold Cup later this summer, including Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and Gio dos Santos, this is a chance for Jimenez to really shine. Already establishing himself as a regular callup in the Mexico team over the last two years, this will be the first chance for Jimenez to be the guy in attack for an extended run. The Atletico Madrid striker has tons of talent, and this match against Brazil will be a good chance for him to show how that talent stacks up against some of the elite defenders in the world.
Key Matchup - Roberto Firmino (Brazil) vs. Hugo Ayala (Mexico)
Likely to start on the left with Neymar unavailable, Firmino will spend a fair amount of time cutting in to more directly support Brazil's striker. That means he'll be spending a lot of time tangling with Ayala, the man most likely to be Mexico's right-sided centerback whether they run out a back four or a back three defensively. Ayala may lack the athletic gifts that the young Firmino possesses, but what he does have is a natural feel for positioning and the right choice to make in given situation. Firmino is going to have to be sharp to beat that kind of guile, and Brazil will be relying on him in the absence of their top attacking star.
Match Date/Time: Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. local
Venue: Allianz Parque, São Paulo, Brazil
TV: Univision USA (U.S. - Spanish), SporTV, Globo (Brazil), Azteca 7, Univision TDN (Mexico)
Online: ESPN3 (U.S. - English), Univision Deportes En Vivo (U.S. - Spanish)
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