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Brazil and Mexico will kick off the semifinals of the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup as both teams aim to make a statement on Wednesday.

Both have treated this competition as a chance to rebound from recent disappointments and have succeeded so far, since they each boast undefeated records coming into the match. Brazil, a longtime heavyweight in women's soccer, has a different point to prove than Mexico, a program building a new chapter amidst the rapid development of the women's game. As a result, the match will act as a barometer on the state of both teams -- and perhaps women's soccer in the region as a whole.

Here's what you need to know before tuning in.

How to watch

Storylines

Brazil: Brazil are under new leadership with Arthur Elias, who took over for Pia Sundhage after the team failed to advance from the group stage at last year's Women's World Cup, and are attempting to embrace youth ahead of the Olympics. Marta did not make the squad for this competition, but the team has not lacked for goals, scoring 12 times in four games. The goalscoring responsibilities have been split up, too -- no one has more than two goals.

Their toughest test so far was against Colombia, who they beat 1-0 in the group stage, but Mexico will offer another challenge as a team that has tactically been up to the challenge so far in this competition. The question facing Brazil is this: Can they successfully reset after last year's disappointment, or will an on-the-rise Mexico provide a stumbling block along the way?

Mexico: After missing out on the 2023 World Cup, Mexico opted to reboot the entire program and are reaping the rewards of that mission so far. Pedro Lopez has put out a tactically impressive team that maximizes the talent at his disposal, as was on full display in their 2-0 win over the U.S. women's national team.

They have been a high-scoring team throughout and currently have 13 goals in four games, as well as the tournament's joint-top goalscorer Lizbeth Ovalle, who has five goals. La Tri hit a little bit of a stumbling block when they conceded twice in their 3-2 win over Paraguay in the quarterfinals, but there's no question that Mexico is the story of the tournament so far. This match against Brazil will be telling about the status of their rebuild so far, but a loss will do little to diminish their status as a team to watch over the next few years.

Prediction

Expect a competitive match that will likely be decided by the narrowest of margins, though both teams should be counted on to score. There might be little to separate the teams before a dreaded penalty shootout, and it would be hard to predict who wins from there but Mexico might have an edge considering their impressive run and the momentum that comes along with it. Pick: Brazil 1, Mexico 1 (a.e.t.), Mexico advance on penalties