A equipe vai empatar o jogo.

Vai empatar is the very common future structure ir + infinitive in Portuguese.

• vai = is going
• empatar = to tie / to equalize

So A equipe vai empatar o jogo literally looks like The team is going to tie the game.

In natural use, this can mean:

• the team is going to equalize
• the team will tie the game
• the team is about to make it level

In Brazilian Portuguese, ir + infinitive is often used instead of the simple future in everyday speech.

Because equipe is a feminine noun in Portuguese, so it takes the feminine article a.

• a equipe = the team

This grammatical gender does not mean the team is female. It is just the gender of the noun.

Other common words for team include:

• o time = the team
• a seleção = the national team / selection

So you could also hear:

• O time vai empatar o jogo.

Portuguese uses definite articles more often than English does.

Here:

• o jogo = the game

So empatar o jogo is literally to tie the game.

In English, depending on context, you might say:

• tie the game
• tie up the game
• equalize
• make it 1–1 / 2–2, etc.

Portuguese often sounds more natural with the article where English might omit it.

Yes. In this sentence, empatar is being used transitively:

• empatar o jogo = to tie the game / to make the score level in the game

This is a very natural sports use.

But empatar can also appear in other patterns, for example:

• O Brasil empatou com a Argentina.
  = Brazil tied with Argentina.

So depending on the structure, it can mean:

• tie the game itself → empatar o jogo
• tie with another team → empatar com alguém

It means the team will score or do something that makes the score equal.

For example:

• If the score is 1–0, and the other team scores, they empatam o jogo.
• Then the score becomes 1–1.

So this sentence usually means:

• The team is going to equalize.
• The team will tie the game.

It does not usually mean the final result will definitely end in a draw. It often focuses on making the score level at that moment.

Because equipe is grammatically singular. It is a collective noun: one team made up of many people.

So the verb agrees with equipe, not with the individual players:

• A equipe vai... = singular
• not A equipe vão...

This is similar to English The team is... in singular agreement.

Yes. That is the simple future:

• A equipe empatará o jogo.

It is grammatically correct, but in everyday Brazilian Portuguese, vai empatar is usually more common and more natural in speech.

Compare:

• vai empatar = very common, conversational
• empatará = correct, but often sounds more formal, written, or less conversational

A simple approximation is:

• empatar ≈ ehm-pah-TAR

A few points:

• the stress is on the last syllable: -tar
• the r at the end in Brazilian Portuguese is often pronounced like an English h sound in many accents, especially in Rio, or a softer sound depending on the region
• the first syllable em- is nasal

And the whole sentence is roughly:

• A equipe vai empatar o jogo
  ≈ ah eh-KEE-pee vai ehm-pah-TAR oo ZHO-goo

That is only an approximation, but it can help at first.

It is common, but in sports, time is often even more common in everyday Brazilian Portuguese.

So these both work:

• A equipe vai empatar o jogo.
• O time vai empatar o jogo.

Very roughly:

• equipe can sound a bit more general or slightly more formal
• time is extremely common in sports contexts

Both are correct.

Yes. Vai + infinitive can express a future event, but also a strong expectation or prediction based on what is happening now.

So depending on context, A equipe vai empatar o jogo could mean:

• The team is going to tie the game
• The team will equalize
• Looks like the team is about to equalize

For example, if they are attacking constantly and seem close to scoring, a commentator might say this.

The normal order here is:

• A equipe = subject
• vai empatar = verb phrase
• o jogo = object

So:

• A equipe vai empatar o jogo.

That is the most natural neutral order.

You might see other orders only for emphasis or in special contexts, but as a learner, this is the safest pattern to use: subject + ir + infinitive + object.