Tomkins awaits Samba stars
- Sunday,
Team GB Double Header
Women v Sweden (4pm)
Men v Brazil (7.45pm)
Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough FC
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Ticket hotline 0844 499 1234
Live on BBC1
James Tomkins can't wait to pull on the Team GB shirt for the very first time when Brazil come to town to prepare for London 2012 next week.
The West Ham United defender is part of Stuart Pearce's 18-man squad looking for Gold in their first Olympic Games since 1960, but expect the Samba Boys to offer a stern test at Midlesbrough on Friday, six days before the competition begins.
The Selecao will be made up star names such as Porto striker Hulk, Santos superstar Neymar and AC Milan's Alexandre Pato, and Tomkins is hoping he can be involved and pit his wits against the Brazilians.
"You know what to expect when it comes to Brazil," Tomkins told TheFA.com as Team GB prepared for the Olympics at their training camp in southern Spain.
"The will be technically very good and we'll have periods of the game where we might not have too much of the ball, so we'll have to be very disciplined as a team.
"I've watched Brazil so many times over the years and you know they bring up the young lads the exact same way. I'm looking forward to it as an experience of another country I've not played before and hopefully I can be part of the match."
The match at Middlebrough's Riverside Stadium on Friday is part of an historic double-header match as Team GB Women's face Sweden earlier that afternoon.
After mixed results at the Riverside at club level, Tomkins believes that it will be a great place to play this important warm-up fixtures - especially with Boro's Brazilian link.
"I played there with West Ham this season and won, which was good, but there was a Cup game we didn't do so well in so I've had the good and the bad there," recall's the 23-year-old.
"It's a big pitch and physically demanding, but it's about what we can get out of the game to help us in the tournament. Results come later on, I'm sure this is going to be a great occasion, and it would be great to get the confidence going early on.
He added: "Thinking about it, Middlesbrough have had a few Brazilians over the years, they're a massive club up there and I'm sure they'll be there or thereabouts this season in the race to get promoted."
Tickets for the double-header are still available directly from Middlesbrough FC. Click here to book online or call the ticket hotline on 0844 499 1234
The games will be the only chance for fans to see the men's and women's teams play before the Olympic football tournament begins five days later when Team GB women take on New Zealand at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff , with the men’s team kicking off their competition against Senegal at Old Trafford (KO 8pm) on Thursday 26 July.
