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We are about a year away from the big event – FIFA World Cup 2014 – and that means we are nearly there for its dress rehearsal – FIFA Confederations Cup 2013. The Confederations Cup is not an event that people look forward to by crossing the dates off their calendars or saving up their life savings to attend, but it does serve the purpose of serving up some quality football to our game-starved eyes during this summer break, especially when some court room action is the best action that we can get, thanks to Lionel Messi’s alleged tax evasion charges.
For the uninitiated, Confederations Cup is held for the winners of the continental competitions (with the predictable exception of Antarctica) like the UEFA Euro Championship, plus the World Cup winner plus the host nation. So that makes 8 countries, with Italy being granted entry as the runner-up at Euro 2012 since Spain qualify twice as World and Euro champions.
The draw of the competition is pretty simple, with 8 teams drawn into 2 groups (countries from the same confederation cannot be placed in the same group) and the top 2 teams of each group going into the semifinals, and then the final, and then back home. So, the two groups of this edition are as follows:
Group A: Brazil, Japan, Mexico, ItalyGroup B: Spain, Uruguay, Tahiti, Nigeria
Group B looks clear as daylight. Spain and Uruguay should qualify comfortably as per the team strengths on paper. Group A is a little more competitive. Brazil and Italy are the big names, Japan is the team on the rise and Mexico, well you never know when they will perform. So, we can expect one big name and one not-so-big name to qualify from this group, given that there should be at least one success story of the underdog in any competition. Or maybe if Tahiti…
Before predicting the results and winners, we can choose to focus our attention on a couple of other things, one of which is this will be the first time goal-line technology (GLT) will be employed at a major competition. Since that disallowed Frank Lampard goal at the 2010 World Cup, there has been a clamouring of sorts for GLT and the time has come when we can finally witness the change that it can bring to a game that is often marred by controversial on-field decisions.
German firm GoalControl won the contact for bringing in GLT into this tournament. Each stadium will have seven cameras at each goal, 14 in total, which will analyse any incident involving goal-line disputes and send the correct decision to the referee’s watch within one second, should the ball cross the line. But the catch is that this technology comes at a price, with the price being 260,000 dollars per stadium and 4,000 dollars per match. Costly, but necessary.
The other thing is that the only big transfer we have had till now is that of Neymar, and people can finally make proper judgement calls on what Barcelona’s marquee signing can bring to the table. There are a few others too who will be under scrutiny and whose market value for their rumoured imminent transfers will depend on their performances at this tournament. Edinson Cavani is one such player. The Napoli striker has been on the transfer radar for a few years now, but this might finally be the year when he departs Italy and probably head for the Spanish capital.
Finally, moving onto the predictions part, Spain are the clear favourites to win the Confederations Cup 2013. They have the talent obviously, they have the experience at the big stage and they have the hunger too, especially since they have never won this tournament. They were knocked out by USA in the semifinals of the last edition and just about managed to get the consolatory 3rd place after winning the match in extra-time against South Africa. So, before the beginning of the end of their golden era begins, they would surely love to add a new cup to their collection.
Moving on from Spain, Uruguay looks quite good with the attacking likes of Cavani and Luis Suarez. Suarez will finally be getting some serious football action after his ban in the Premier League and one can rely on him to provide some fireworks, through whatever means necessary. Italy is still the side with the calm confidence that we saw at Euro 2012 and they will be looking for some revenge should they face Spain after their 4-0 hammering at the Euro final. Balotelli will be leading their line and their press coverage.
Brazil, the host nation, obviously shoulders a lot of expectations. They have a pretty good squad – Neymar, Hulk, Oscar in the attack, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Marcelo, Dani Alves in defence. But their form has been bad of late, and they have dropped to 22 in FIFA’s rankings. Luiz Felipe Scolari, who has been appointed as coach to put their preparation for the World Cup on track, will only hope that his players will not be booed off the field if things don’t go according to the plans. It has happened before, the booing I mean.
Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa, the Japanese big names, will be looking to prove that football is not limited to just Europe and South America. They are a good team, who have had a decent showing at the last World Cup, but they will look to use this tournament to gauge their strengths and weaknesses so as to arrive at the next World Cup with some serious chances of winning it. Mexico marks the end of the list of the serious contenders for this edition of the Confed Cup. Chicharito, after having a somewhat quiet season at Manchester United compared to his first one, will lead their strike line hoping to make Mexico the dark horses of the tournament.
It all begins on June 16th, 12:25 AM (IST) with Brazil vs Japan, the host nation, probably the team which will be scrutinized the most, pitted against the Asians. May the best team win.
Go Tahiti go!
