FIFA 2013 Confederations Cup - 15th to 30th June - Brasil

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2013 FIFA Confederations Cup - Brasil



Teams
Brazil CONMEBOL
Spain UEFA 2010 FIFA World Cup winner
Japan AFC 2011 AFC Asian Cup winner
Mexico CONCACAF 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup winner
Uruguay CONMEBOL 2011 Copa Am?rica winner
Tahiti OFC 2012 OFC Nations Cup winner
Italy UEFA UEFA Euro 2012 runners-up1
Nigeria CAF winner

Dates
15th - 30th June 2013

15 June 2013
FIFA Confederations Cup - Group A

Brazil 3-0 Japan

* * *

A comfortable opening game win for the host, very good first goal by Neymar and a nicely made third goal by Oscar.

Japan played well, but with not much forward threat. Their standard is waaay better than when they were co-hosts in 2002.

:smile:
 
Sunday, 16 June 2013

Mexico 1-2 Italy
Spain 2-1 Uruguay

Monday, 17 June 2013

Tahiti 1-6 Nigeria



Italy did enough against Mexico with Balotelli getting the winner. He seems much happier now and had a good game up front.

The world Champions were amazing in the midfield during the first 60 minutes and looked unbeatable and were two up. The possesion %age was 75% to 25% and looked much worsed than that.

Then Spain sort of stopped trying hard to re-gain possesion when they'd lost the ball and Uruguay started to play well, such that Suarez got a goal with three to go, making the scoreline very odd at the end.

Despite getting stuffed by six, Tahiti won the deserved applause of the neutreal crowd with Tehau scoring their first ever goal in a major final and he damn near got a second right at the end.

The scorline was 3 to 1 until late , when the Tahitians got tired. A fine effort by them, did the game proiud, but they will probably be mullered by Spain & Uruguay next.

:smile:

(Note: Tahiti are ranked one hundred and something in the FIFA rankings and Nigeria are one of the top African teams.)
 
Why did Tahiti even qualify for this tournament? I can't think it's too fun to be invited to be humiliated over and over, even if it means a free trip to Brazil...

Nevermind, checked it out, OFC winners... questionable if there should be an OFC at all.
 
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I don't think they care. Most of them are amateurs. They get to play against some of the best players in the world. Experience of a lifetime for many of them, undoubtedly. They've been celebrating their one goal against Nigeria like crazy :D
 
It's embarrassing to be New Zealand and not win that tournament to be honest....
 
I don't think they care. Most of them are amateurs. They get to play against some of the best players in the world. Experience of a lifetime for many of them, undoubtedly. They've been celebrating their one goal against Nigeria like crazy :D

Yes, that sounds about right and the way the BBC have been telling their story.
Scoring ONE single goal at least, was their aim from the begining and "would be like winning".

It's embarrassing to be New Zealand and not win that tournament to be honest....

Good point, how did that happen? NZ were quite a good side a few years back and got to a recent World Cup as well. Maybe they should do as Australia did and transfer to the Asia football region "to improve their standard."

The BBC are showing all games live, plus highlights shows.

What is being shown in your country, if anything?
 
Yeah they're showing all the games here, too, summer is coming up and they're running out of things to show on TV.
 
All games here as well, it's quite awesome. It's nice to have some football to watch in the summer break, and especially some of these teams. I always enjoy watching Spain, Italy have a great team (Balotelli is always entertaining :p) and Brazil has some really interesting players - Neymar is particularly interesting, since I haven't had a chance to watch many of his games (if at all) previously :)
 
Wednesday 19th June 2013

Brazil 2-0 Mexico

A couple of flashes of genius from Neymar resulting in two goals and not so much else.
Mexico were one goal down for much of the game, but didn't do much about it until the last 10 minutes. Then Brazil scored again. Good defence from Daivd Louis today.

Yeah they're showing all the games here, too, summer is coming up and they're running out of things to show on TV.

All games here as well, it's quite awesome.

Ah good.

Anybody else watching this tournament or is it just us three in the WHOLE of Europe? :lol:



It's nice to have some football to watch in the summer break, and especially some of these teams. I always enjoy watching Spain, Italy have a great team (Balotelli is always entertaining :p) and Brazil has some really interesting players - Neymar is particularly interesting, since I haven't had a chance to watch many of his games (if at all) previously :)

Exactly so, there are some great teams & players on show. I hate the summer break when there is no World Cup or Euro tournament.

Waaaaay tooo long until the EPL starts again in August.

:smile:

:smile:
 
Italy will have to call themselves lucky to walk away with that win... if anything they were closer to losing it. Very poor show. And very good japanese show, there's some good talent there.
 
I wished I'd watched that game :/ Sounds like quite an entertaining match.

Absolutely fantastic stuff from Neymar with the two goals.

Spain is playing Tahiti tonight.. Any guesses on possession stats? :p Are they going to break the 90? :p
 
Wednesday 19th June 2013

Italy 4-3 Japan

EDIT:

Italy will have to call themselves lucky to walk away with that win... if anything they were closer to losing it. Very poor show. And very good japanese show, there's some good talent there.

Yup, Italy were fortunate to get the win, but they did show some fortitude to get the winner. Japan were a little unlucky to get nothing out of the game. Great game to watch for the neutral.

But this is normal for Italy during the Group state of a tournament. They often start slowly, play badly and get draws etc and get trashed in the Italian sports media. But still manage to get through to the knockout stage, where they usually do much better.

They "get stronger as the tournament progresses," is the TV football commentators normal quote.

It's Italy and normal!



Thursday 20th June 2013

Spain 10-0 Tahiti


Great performance again form Tahiti, despite losing by ten to the World Champions.

At the end of the game, Spain left the field first and the 71,000 crowd in the Maracana gave Tahiti a standing ovation. Their GK had a "mixed" game, a few ricks and some great saves too, but not actually saving the pen which Torres missed. Roche took the credit for it anyway! :lol:

A shame they couldn't score again, but Tahiti were looking for a goal during the last ten minutes, probably more than Spain were doing.

Final stat note: Tahiti remain ABOVE Spain in the FIFA all time top ten "highest ever wins" with a 13 - 0 win against American Samoa about ten years ago in a WC qualifier.

So not losing their place to the World Champions was probably one of their aims, which they achieved.

Well done boys, great effort.

:smile:
 
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It's a pretty ridiculous second team Spain are capable of.. :p
 
Saturday 22nd June 2013

Italy 2-4 Brazil
Japan 1-2 Mexico

Sunday 23rd June 2013

Nigeria 0-3 Spain
Uruguay 8-0 Tahiti

Spain took their chances at goals and Nigeria didn't, which was due to quality and inexperience. Nigeria were the youngest team in the tournament and may well be a force at some time in the future.

So, an all European SF with Spain vs. Italy and an all South American one with Brazil vs. Uruguay.

The form book says who will be in the Final, but strange things happen in football sometimes. (USA beat Spain in the SF last time. )

:smile:
 
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ESPN is showing all games live and talking up their World Cup coverage in the process.

I just couldn't watch the Tahati matches (just too painful) but Brasil v Italy may have been worse. In a game that really did not matter, WTF.
 
Wednesday 26th June 2013
FIFA Confederations Cup - Semi-Final


Brazil 2-1 Uruguay


Well, a bit of scrappy match. Uruguay did pretty well keeping out Brazil, but this meant that Suarez was a bit isolated and not much of a goal threat.

A couple of bad defensive howlers from Brazil, yielded a penalty (missed by Forlan) and the equaliser from Cavani, who also had a great game as a "right back" which is a little unusual for a striker.

Not much on show for Spain or Italy to fear, but Sunday is another day.

It's the Confederations Cup, none of it matters.

/runs

Oi! :shakefist:

:p
 
Thursday 27th June 2013
FIFA Confederations Cup - Semi-Final


Spain 0-0 Italy

Spain win 7-6 on penalties

An interesting match, with Italy having a good defence plan and a few good chances at winning, especially in the first half.

Spain made some positive subs and looked like they wanted to win more than Italy near the end, but the Italians were tiring at that point.

Some good goalkeeping by both GKs and the referee team also did pretty well, controlling the game.

ET & then pens is not the most satisfactory way to decide the winner, but it is probably the best option.

:smile:
 
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