What: FIFA Confederations Cup final
Who: Brazil vs Spain
When: Sunday, 30th June, 2013, at 23:00 UK Time
Where: Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Brazil Out To Complete Confederations Cup Treble
It is now five victories in a row for Luiz Felipe Scolari and Brazil, who appear to be winning over sceptical fans and helping to escalate expectations once again ahead of next year’s World Cup. Victory over Uruguay, secured with a late Paulinho header, has sent the Brazilians into the final of the Confederations Cup, as they look to win the tournament for the third consecutive time.
Scolari has settled some doubts about bringing him back for a second stint as Brazil coach. He has shown once again that he is an expert at knitting together a group of players for a major international tournament, and understands this type of competition well. And against Uruguay, his decision to bring on Bernard with the score at 1-1 was a masterstroke, not so much tactically, but for the fact that the restless Brazilian crowd, increasingly nervous, were buoyed by the introduction of the local Atletico Mineiro star, thus lifting pressure from the team.
A meeting with Spain in the final of this competition is what FIFA will have wanted. These sides have not met since 1999 and many Brazilians feel that the Spanish have taken their crown away from them as the purveyors of the beautiful game. This is the first time since Spain took over that mantle that these teams will have had the chance to go head to head and there is a feeling that Brazil have a point to prove. But Scolari will realise that many of this squad were at the Olympics last year, where Brazil sailed into the final in effervescent style, before losing to Mexico. Defeat would not be a disaster – but next year anything but victory is essential.
Spain Look To Add Confederations Cup To Collection
Another final, but a trophy they have not won before, awaits Spain at the Maracana. And as has been noted already, they are yet to take on Brazil during this glorious spell for La Roja. A week ago an ‘under-strength’ Spain side crushed Tahiti 10-0, and that team is likely to be changed significantly for the Brazil clash. Spain have not lost a competitive match for 29 games, that last defeat a 1-0 loss to Switzerland in the opening match of the last World Cup.
Spain’s performances have been typically controlled, but they only scraped into the final after a penalty shootout against Italy. The Italians were able to carve open the Spanish regularly in their energy sapping semi-final and custodian Iker Casillas had to be at his best to keep his side in the game.
The thing with Spain though is that when it seems they are about to hit a wall, they find a way around it. That is probably because they have so many good players. To have Juan Mata, Santi Cazorla, David Villa and others of a similar quality on the bench to bring on is a luxury no other national side can enjoy. Thanks to such strength in depth, Spain have the chance to give the Brazilian crowd a first-hand view of their brilliance and show that they will be the team to beat if the Selecao are to win the World Cup on home soil next year.
Recent form
Brazil:
Brazil 2-0 Mexico (19/06; Confederations Cup)
Brazil 4-2 Italy (22/06; Confederations Cup)
Brazil 2-1 Uruguay (26/06; Confederations Cup)
Spain:
Spain 10-0 Tahiti (20/06; Confederations Cup)
Spain 3-0 Nigeria (23/06; Confederations Cup)
Spain 0-0 Italy [7-6 on pens] (27/06; Confederations Cup)
Key absences
Brazil: None
Spain: Cesc Fabregas (doubt); Roberto Soldado (doubt)
Players to watch
Brazil – Neymar: The best players in the world consistently produce and most of all do so in the big games. Neymar has shown his class in this tournament, demonstrating that the hype surrounding him has justification. Greater tests will come next season as he regularly takes on European opposition thousands of miles from home. He has been involved with most of Brazil’s goals at this tournament so far, and shown his ability to produce something from nothing, but can he do it in the final when it matters most of all?
Spain – Andres Iniesta: Neymar will be attempting to show he has big game nerve and he would do well to study the performances of his soon to be team-mate Iniesta in recent finals. The man of the match as Spain won the last World Cup and in last year’s European Championship final, Iniesta’s quiet brilliance shows no sign of waning just yet. Against Italy he was as bright as anyone for Spain, his clever movement and close control always threatening to create something. He will dictate play and is the most likely man to carve open Brazil’s defence.
Match Prediction
Spain against Brazil pits the world’s best team against one looking to take their crown. But it should be remembered that in the context of the Confederations Cup it is the host nation who are the holders of this particular piece of silverware and the Spanish who are looking to add the trophy to their vast collection.
Brazil have not lost a competitive game at home since 1975, but it is likely that Spain will dictate play. For their impressive showings so far, Brazil still aren’t entirely convincing in possession and still look to use the flanks to prise open opponents. Spain will get most of the ball in the middle of the pitch and Brazil may find it hard to get it off them – Vicente del Bosque’s side have completed 1,221 passes more than any other side at the tournament so far, with an accuracy rate of 92%. Spain have only conceded eight shots on target so far. Most of those came against Italy in the semi-final, as a surprisingly sluggish Spain struggled for long periods.
Then again, a similar thing was said about them last year at the European Championship, and it may be worth going back in time for hints as to the outcome of this game. Last year Brazil sailed through in style to the final of the Olympic Games in London before losing to Mexico. Meanwhile, Spain battled their way to European Championship success, winning on penalties after a goalless draw in the semi-finals and rarely showing their usual swagger until the 4-0 victory over Italy in the final. Brazil will not be able to make incursions into their half as easily as they have in previous matches, and Spanish control should be enough to secure them a famous win. Brazil 0-2 Spain.
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