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With Brazil missing two players in their semifinal match against Germany, all eyes of the host nation's spectators are on David Luiz, the national team's Mr. Congeniality.

Sure, he'd be wearing the captain's armband as Thiago Silva will be serving a one-game suspension after receiving a red card in Brazil's quarterfinal victory against Colombia. But more than a rallying figure, Luiz has spoken the unifying language of football, not only in words but also in deed.

As the arena exploded at the final whistle, Luiz asked the delirious crowd to applaud playmaker James Rodriguez, who scored a tournament-leading five goals, the centerpiece of Colombia's offense.

Later on, he made sure one of the tournament balls was at the team's dressing room so each of his teammates could sign it. Then he went to the mixed zone where he granted eight consecutive interviews, gamely answering questions that went his way.

Anyone who happened to be around the stadium got an appreciation from Luiz. From security guards to volunteers, the center back smiled and patted their back.

"If there's something I've always dreamed about and which I've always tried to show people, it's that we're all the same in this life, that everyone deserves respect and that we're all equal," the amiable Luiz told FIFA.com in one of those interviews.

One of his teammates spoke how great Luiz is as person, more than a part of the national team.

"He's just the best," said Hulk. "He's very caring and very attentive, no matter who he's with. It's not every day that you come across someone like him."

Against Colombia, Luiz delivered one of his best performances in this World Cup, clamping down on defense with Silva.

"The whole world knows what he has to offer on the pitch - and to my mind, he and Thiago (Silva) are the best central-defensive partnership in the world - but as his team-mates, we also know what a great person he is too," Hulk continued.

Luiz likewise contributed on the other side of the pitch, taking a spectacular free kick that found the back of the net.

"It was great to see," Hulk said as he recalled the shot. "Obviously we all celebrated the goal as a team but we were delighted to see a guy like David scoring again. He really let himself go in his celebration too, which fired us all up."

For Luiz, filling in the shoes of Silva isn't any trouble at all because the entire team is on the same page.

"This team is very easy to handle because everyone's very down to earth. It won't be a tough job at all," he said.

TagsWorld Cup 2014, Germany, David Luiz, FIFA World Cup Brazil