Soccer talker

Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus in town.

MIAMI GARDENS — Tonight’s soccer match between Paris SaintGermain and Juventus at Hard Rock Stadium is an appetizer in many locales.

In South Florida, it’ll precede Saturday’s mega match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, the first “El Clasico” ever to be played in America.

In France, it’ll be an hors d’oeuvre for PSG’s Trophee des Champions final Saturday against AS Monaco, a game between the top two teams in France. In Italy, where Juventus is from, it is a precursor to Sunday’s preseason match in Foxborough against AS Roma, a game between the top two teams in Italy.

And across the world, supportnews ers await word if Brazilian star and current Barcelona forward Neymar will join PSG. Rumors have been swirling recently that the prized player may be transferring teams.

During a Tuesday afternoon conference at Hard Rock Stadium, PSG manager Unai Emery deflected a question about Neymar’s potential arrival with the club.

“We like to speak in the moment,” Emery said through a translator. “In our moment, we are in preparation for [Wednesday] against a great team and Saturday, our final. … The players that are here are focused on this game. The team is working to be highly motivated. The players that are here are focused, and if any new player arrives, we’ll be focusing on the season.”

Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani was politically correct by sidestepping another question about whether he’d like to play alongside a talent like Neymar, who could still play for Barcelona in Saturday’s El Clasico.

“It’s obvious he’s a great player and anyone wants to play with great players,” Cavani said through a translator. “Today, there is a lot of talk. But my teammates that I have now are the best players that there are . ... ”

Even without an injection of excitement from Neymar, Wednesday’s game has plenty to offer by itself, matching two of Europe’s most storied clubs against each other in a preseason tournament called the International Champions Cup. The match begins at 8:30 p.m.

Last season, PSG finished second in France’s Ligue 1 to Monaco, breaking a string of four consecutive league championships. PSG added Brazilian defender Dani Alves in the offseason, bolstering its already stout back line. The team allowed a league-low 27 goals last season.

Cavani led Ligue 1 with 35 goals and Argentine midfielder Angel Di Maria led PSG with seven assists. Overall, PSG’s 83 goals ranked second in Ligue 1.

Today’s game will be PSG’s final one in America before returning to Europe. PSG made Miami its base throughout its American tour that also included stops in Detroit and Orlando. It held open practices and autograph sessions in the week ahead of today’s match.

Juventus, meanwhile, won its sixth consecutive title in Italy’s Serie A and advanced to the European Champions League final. It lost to Real Madrid, 4-1. In its American debut Saturday against Barcelona, Juventus lost 2-1. Neymar scored both goals for Barcelona.

Juve boasts one of the world’s best players in Argentine forward Gonzalo Higuain, who scored 24 goals last season.

In goal, legendary keeper Gianluigi Buffon returns to Juventus. Buffon, 39, allowed 0.8 goals per game in 30 games last season. He has played in five World Cups, including Italy’s 2006 win.

Juventus players and coaches were not available for interviews, but Emery lauded the ICC for including the world’s top teams.

“The summer preparation is very important for us,” Emery said. “To do it against the best teams in the world, it helps us measure ourselves ...”

JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/GETTY IMAGES Legendary keeper Gianluigi Buffon of Juventus is back in goal. He has played in five World Cups, including Italy’s 2006 win.