By DAN KARELL
Brazil is just four games away from World Cup glory but before it can make the final in the Maracana, it has to face arguably its greatest challenge of the tournament.
South American rivals Chile meets host Brazil (12 p.m. ABC) at the Estadio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte, pitting the likes of Alexis Sanchez against Neymar. Chile’s in-your-face attacking style will be tough for Brazil to match but Brazil does have the advantage in set pieces and on counter attacks. Fernandinho has taken the place of Paulinho in Brazil’s squad, possibly gproviding a look at Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari’s fear of Chile’s attacking prowess.
In the second match of the day, Uruguay is set to rally around the loss of Luis Suarez when it takes on the high-flying Colombians (4 p.m. ABC) at the Maracana in Rio De Janeiro. James Rodriguez, Juan Cuadrado, and Los Cafeteros have dismantled their first three opponents but they’ll be running into the brick wall that is Diego Lugano and Diego Godin.
If Colombia wins, it would be the first time it has ever made it to the quarterfinals in the nation’s history. Uruguay will be playing with the spirit of the 1950 team that won the World Cup final over Brazil in the Maracana, making this game full of energy and emotion.
If you will be watching today’s matches, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action.