Iceland shares spotlight with Brazil

MOSCOW — The most decorated team in soccer plays on the same day as the newest stars on the international stage as Brazil and Iceland both hit the pitch Friday in the group stage of the World Cup.

Brazil opened Group E play with a1-1tie against Switzerland in a disappointing tournament opener for one of the World Cup favourites. Iceland, meanwhile, is soaring after a 1-1 draw with mighty Argentina in its World Cup debut.

Iceland is the smallest nation in field and playing in only its second major tournament. The tiny country became a darling of the soccer world after its improbable run to the quarter-finals of the 2016 European Championship. A win or draw Friday in Group D play would make Iceland the first squad to avoid a loss in its opening two World Cup matches since Senegal in 2002.

But the day begins in St. Petersburg in a match between Brazil and Costa Rica (TSN, 8 a.m.). Questions surround Brazil star Neymar, who limped out of a training session earlier this week.

The Brazilian soccer federation said Thursday that Neymar is just fine and posted photos and a video of him practicing Wednesday with the rest of the squad.

“I trained well, felt comfortable,” Neymar said in the video. “The foot is fine.”

Costa Rica doesn’t have history on its side: Brazil has won nine out of 10 matches against Costa Rica.

A look at Friday’s other matches:

NIGERIA VS. ICELAND

TSN, 11 a.m. Nigeria dropped its first group match 2-0 to Croatia and is considered so far to be one of the underperforming teams of the tournament.

The Nigerian team is the youngest in the World Cup with an average age of just below 26, and although it is the most populous nation in Africa with some 185 million people, the team has never advanced past the round of 16.

The game in Volgograd is so highly anticipated in Iceland that its national post office has announced it will close more than three hours early as most of the country is expected to watch.

SERBIA VS. SWITZERLAND TSN, 2 p.m.

A1-0 victory over Costa Rica has Serbia headed into its game against Switzerland eying a spot in the round of 16.

Because Brazil’s opener also ended in a draw, Group E is wide open right now and Serbia will play Friday for an outright victory against Switzerland.

“If we do the math and start playing for a draw then it will not be successful,” captain Aleksandar Kolarov said. “Of course we want to win.”