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The big picture
The way these two teams have played in the U-17 World Cup, it is perhaps unfortunate that only one of Brazil or England will contest the final, but expect a clash between two of the best attacking lines in their semi-final clash at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Wednesday.
While Brazil have rarely put the opposition to the sword in their five games - three against Honduras in the round-of-16 being the most goals they have scored in one match - the attacking duo of Paulinho from Vasco da Gama and Lincoln (Flamengo) have found support from attacking midfielders like Brenner, Alan and even full-backs Wesley and Weverson.
England's wingers Phil Foden (Manchester City) and Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea) are a good combination of skill and pace. They have provided great service to Rhian Brewster of Liverpool, who scored England's first hat-trick in the history of this competition during their 4-1 win over U.S. in the quarter-finals. Those four goals are part of 15 scored by England, 11 of which have come at the Salt Lake Stadium. The Chelsea trio of left-back Jonathan Panzo, centre-back Marc Guehi and central midfielder George McEachran have all had a good tournament, contributing in a big way to England conceding a goal in only two of their five matches in the tournament.
Keys to victory
Most of Brazil's best attacks have been initiated by their industrious midfield, where Marcos Antonio and Victor Bobsi tend to sit in front of the defence, and it would be interesting to see how England coach Steve Cooper looks to neutralise the middle of the pitch. England could take a few clues from Germany's first-half performance about how to stop Brazil from playing free-flowing football, though the good news is that they have shown enough variety in attack to take the game to Brazil.
England are the only semi-finalists with prior experience of a penalty shootout in the tournament, which could well be required in a matchup this close.
Phil Foden's versatility in attacking positions makes him a difficult player to mark. Matthew Ashton - AMA/WBA FC via Getty Images
In the spotlight
While Brazil have had one of the best defences in this tournament, the biggest contribution to that has come from goalkeeper Gabriel Brazao. The penalty he conceded to Germany captain Jann-Fiete Arp in the quarterfinal was just the second goal against him, the first being an own goal in the tournament opener against Spain. Brazao has used his height to good effect in ensuring opposition teams don't get many chances off set-pieces, and has a save rate of 88.9 percent overall.
One player who can influence a big match like this the most is Phil Foden, with his versatility in attacking positions making him a difficult player to mark. A predominantly left-footed player, he often starts on the wings and moves into more central positions, and can even operate as a centre-forward. While he has played an instrumental role in several England goals, his only strike for the tournament remains England's second in the 3-2 win over Mexico, and he could be looking to add to that number.
Stats and trivia
• This is England's first appearance in the semi-finals of the U-17 World Cup.
• Brazil are making their eighth appearance in the last four, although they haven't reached the final since 2005.
• England and Brazil have played two matches in U-17 World Cup history. England beat Brazil 2-1 after trailing in 2007 in Korea, while Brazil won thanks to a second-half goal by Leandro in Chile two years ago.
Quotes
"When you come to a World Cup, there is more pressure, it's natural. We want more pressure, it's a World Cup [and] we want these players to get used to it. I'd rather have the pressure of expecting to do well than expecting to fail." - Steve Cooper, England coach
"We have a concept of our game, when we have the ball we attack, when we don't have the ball all the players have to defend. This is the balance, all the players have to be committed to the defensive system and the offensive system. It's not a secret." - Carlos Amadeu, Brazil coach
Source: espn.co.uk