Five lessons learnt from the 2013 Confederations Cup

Luiz Felipe Scolari head coach of Brazil is congratulated by fans after the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 Final match between Brazil and Spain at Maracana on June 30, 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Getty Images)

1. Brazil are stronger than we thought

Luiz Felipe Scolari took over this side seven months ago and the pace at which he worked his team seemed to indicate that this team was pretty much a work in progress. They were not playing competitive games in the capacity of the host nation and that is always a drawback.

The 2-0 win over France prior to the competition turned the tide of results to an extent but it was the motivation of being part of a cup-competition on home soil that seemed to energize the team. The team does not match up to the great sides of the past with the likes of Rivaldo, Ronaldo and the young Ronaldinho but it has a quality of its own.

David Luiz was stunning throughout this competition. A mindless tackle aside, he played a huge role with that goal-line clearance in the final. He makes a good pairing with Thiago Silva at the back, while Fred was the unsung hero of the whole tournament.

Paulinho and Luiz Gustavo did well throughout the competition but they need to build a greater understanding as a pair. Marcelo and Dani Alves are a huge threat offensively but they leave a lot of space behind them to be exploited.

These are just some improvements they can make to boost their already strong status as contenders.