Going into this year's World Cup, no player was more hyped than Neymar. The 22-year-old Brazilian winger/forward may have been an unproven commodity on the World Cup stage, but with the tournament set to take place in Neymar's home country, and with the young player's strong performances at recent football events like the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2013 Confederations Cup, and the World Cup qualifiers, there seemed little doubt that Neymar would be the star of both the Brazil home jersey and the Brazil away kit.As a result of the hype for Neymar and the Brazil team as a whole, Brazilian jerseys have been flying off the shelves at Soccer Box all year, from the home and away kits to Neymar's number 10 jersey, all the way to the Brazil 2014 World Cup third jersey. The latter is a black Nike jersey with the Brazil national team crest embroidered on the chest in a regal gold color. The shirt won't make as many appearances at the World Cup this year as, say, the yellow home shirt or the blue away kit, but it's nice departure of style if you're looking to set yourself apart from the crowd!
The Brazil vs. Argentina Rivalry
Neymar's Brazil away kit won't be the only jersey to bear the number 10. On the contrary, legendary Argentinian forward Lionel Messi also wears the number 10 on his jersey. While Neymar's jersey will undoubtedly be more common among the crowds and at the marketplaces of this year's World Cup, Argentina also has a strong contingent of fans on hand that will make for an especially explosive and adrenaline-fueled match should Brazil and Argentina meet in a match this summer.
Thus far, both Brazil and Argentina are keeping the hopes of a Neymar/Messi battle alive. Brazil won its first match of the tournament, beating Croatia 3-1 on the strength of two Neymar goals, and managed a 0-0 draw against Mexico.
Lionel Messi, meanwhile, scored a second half goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina to win the match 2-1 for Argentina. Another Messi goal afforded Argentina a 2nd group stage win against Iran, putting Argentina at the top of Group F and guaranteeing their place in the knockout round.
Of course, many fans were already hoping for a Brazil/Argentina match-up, regardless of the fact that Neymar and Messi, the star players of each team, both wear the same jersey number. Brazil and Argentina have maintained a fiercely competitive rivalry for years, and while Brazil has the edge almost solely thanks to its five World Cup titles (Argentina has two), Argentina would undoubtedly gain some serious ground by winning on Brazil home turf.
One thing is for sure: with Brazil's fans swarming every World Cup match whether in Neymar shirts or the Brazil 2014 World Cup third jersey and with thousands of Argentine fans making the pilgrimage to Brazil to cheer their team on, a match-up between Brazil and Argentina at this summer's World Cup would certainly ignite some high-voltage fireworks.
Odds for Both Teams
Luckily for fans of the Brazil-Argentina rivalry, odds thus far look pretty good that both teams will escape the group stage and earn a draw in the knockout phase. A win or draw against Croatia tonight will ensure the passage of the Brazilians to the next stage. Argentina will face Nigeria, but win or lose they are assured a place in the next round. From the looks of it, fans can expect to see both the Argentina shirts and the Brazil away kit in later rounds of this World Cup.
Given the way the World Cup bracket works out, though, both Brazil and Argentina will have to win a few knockout stage games as well if they are to meet at any point in this tournament. The soonest these two teams can possibly clash is in the semifinals. If both teams win their groups, then the only possible chance we have at a Brazil-Argentina match would be in the championship game. Such an outcome would cause fireworks indeed, whether you are a fan of the light blue Argentina home kit or the midnight black Brazil 2014 World Cup third jersey.
Do you think Brazil has what it takes to make it to the finals? Do you think good fortune will bless the Brazil-Argentina rivalry and make the two teams the last left standing? If so, head to Soccer Box today and pick up a Brazil away kit.
