World Cup 2014, Brazil vs Colombia: All the key battles

They will tell you that Brazil vs Colombia is all about two 22-year-olds – Neymar and James Rodriguez. But the truth is that is about much, much more. From the fans to the coaches to the players – here’s a look at the match-ups that really matter. Pekerman vs Scolari Two young teams with veteran coaches who have seen everything – victory, defeat, heartbreak and joy. It cannot be stated just how important Pekerman and Scolari are to their teams. Pekerman is now level with double World Cup winner Vittorio Pozzo as the only coach to go nine games unbeaten in open play – and he doesn’t want to lose anytime soon. He has already shown that he doesn’t mind changing formations. During the group stages, he preferred a one-striker system but changed to two up front against Uruguay. But against Brazil, he might go back to a five-man midfield. If Colombia can crowd out the midfield and frustrate the Brazilians, the pressure on the home team will reach immense proportions. Scolari, on the other hand, has a big problem. His best defensive midfielder Luiz Gustavio is going to miss the game due to his second yellow card in the last game. So a change is necessary if it wasn’t needed. In training, Scolari has mentioned the possibility of going back to his 2002 World Cup tactics – three central defenders, freeing up the fullbacks. But it won’t be an easy decisions. [caption id=“attachment_1602609” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Getty[/caption] Off the field, Pekerman has had an easier time while Scolari has even opted to bring in a psychologist after the near emotional meltdown during the game against Chile. It that was bad, this will definitely be worse. Neymar vs Carlos Sanchez Chile hustled and harried Neymar all through the game. He picked up a knee injury during the game and wasn’t quite the player we all know he can be. He insists that fitness isn’t an issue anymore but if Neymar isn’t firing then Brazil are in trouble. Marking Neymar well could be the difference between victory and defeat and that task is most likely to fall to Elche midfielder Carlos Sanchez, who is known as “The Rock.” Ahead of the match-up though, Sanchez looked anything but nervous: “Neymar is a global star, but it would be a lack of respect to speak just of him, knowing that Brazil have a lot of star players. With respect, we should be talking about all their team, beyond just Neymar. Given the position I play, there’s going to be a lot of players around me, so I’ll get to mark various opponents during the game. It will be a battle against Brazil and not just against Neymar.” Oscar vs Abel Aguilar Oscar was stunning in the first game of the 2014 World Cup. But his influence on the game has faded after that match. And Brazil need him to step up and be at his creative best once more. Chile’s high-press ensured that Brazil were always under pressure when they had the ball and that led to a loss of possession and a passing percentage of just 69 percent. Aguilar is the other experienced defensive midfielder and he might be called upon to not just disrupt the passing lanes but also keep Oscar as out of it as possible. Fernandino vs James Rodriguez The absence of Gustavo spells trouble for Brazil. He has been Brazil’s best midfielder by a distance and it would have been wonderful to have him around to try and stop the Colombian No.10. But he isn’t and Fernandino will most probably be asked to step into the breach. Rodriguez’s ball skills and eye for goal are exceptional. He is very comfortable on the ball as well. Colombia have shown some good pace when they break forward and that is when Fernandinho will have to do his job best. This is perhaps the crucial match-up in this game. Cuadrado vs Marcelo Cuadrado has been wonderful on the right flank. He moves in well too but the fact that isn’t a one-dimensional player makes him difficult to contain. He is likely to be matched up against Marcelo, the Brazil fullback who loves to bomb forward at every given opportunity. If Scolari’s decides to not change formations, the defensive load on Marcelo will be greater than it has been at any point in this tournament so far.