FIFA Confederations Cup 2013 - Official Discussion Thread

[Keystone Phil]

We're a year before the World Cup so that means it's time for the Confederations Cup. Most regard it as meaningless or maybe even a curse for the winners (the winner has never gone on to win the following World Cup. In fact, they have usually underachieved). But, hey, it's a warm up for the World Cup, a chance to see young talent in most cases (despite the U-21 Euros overlapping with this) and something for us action-starved fans to watch in the Summer of an "off year."

The opening match is on Saturday, June 15th but I'm starting the thread now as the final 23 man squad lists are due to UEFA today. Hosts Brazil are the defending champions. The tournament is made up of champions from each confederation, the host nation and the defending World Cup champions. Since Spain are both World and Euro champs, Euro 2012 runner up Italy have been invited to represent Europe.

Only Argentina and France have won all three major FIFA International competitions. Italy, Uruguay and Spain have a chance this Summer to become the third team to have won all three.

Group A (I guess this counts as the Group of Death)

Brazil
Japan
Mexico
Italy

Group B

Spain
Uruguay
Tahiti
Nigeria


Discuss tournament news, rumors, results, predictions, whatever.

[batmacumba]

I'll have to reschedule the visits to my parents. Just hope traffic don't get unbearably chaotic.

[Goodwin]

Here is my quick prediction
Brazil to beat Spain in the final.

Group A: 1st Brazil 2nd Mexico
Group B: 1st Spain 2nd Uruguay

Semi Finals: Brazil beat Uruguay   Spain beat Mexico

(Tahiti to shock the world by drawing with Nigeria in their opening game)

[Keystone Phil]

I'll have to reschedule the visits to my parents. Just hope traffic don't get unbearably chaotic.

Oh, I can't imagine it being that bad.

The Italian squad was announced yesterday. Surprising inclusion: Barzagli. He was thought to be too seriously injured to play. Surprise omissions: Sau, Ranocchia and Ogbonna. I think it's a good side but would have really liked to see Sau playing. It also would have been nice to see some of our young stars (Insigne, Immobile, Verratti and Destro) but the U-21 Euros kick off this week and overlap the Confederations Cup. It's better that they're with the youth side so we can grab another title there.

[minionofmidas]

If Tahiti does not win I shall consider the Confederations Cup an unnecessary failure of a tournament.

[Keystone Phil]

If Tahiti does not win I shall consider the Confederations Cup an unnecessary failure of a tournament.

Ding ding ding! Surprised it took so long but there it is: your first message of ironic support for Tahiti!

[Хahar 🤔]

Why does the OFC still exist?

[Lief 🗽]

Forza Tahiti!

(And then Mexico I guess for CONCACAF pride lol)

[Keystone Phil]

Forza Tahiti!

(And then Mexico I guess for CONCACAF pride lol)

You're a U.S. fan and would root for Mexico? I mean, I've rooted for teams (even rivals of my teams) in the same conference in a Final but I've never witnessed confederation pride (aside from my Euro snobbery). Even still, I'd never say "UEFA pride!" And I've just never seen a U.S. fan cheer on Mexico.

[batmacumba]

I'll have to reschedule the visits to my parents. Just hope traffic don't get unbearably chaotic.

Oh, I can't imagine it being that bad.

They live near the stadium. It took me one and a half hour to drive the 6 miles that lead me there, last game.

Anyway, first game here is Nigeria vs. Tahiti. A great rally. Guess it will drive a very huge crowd. Second is Japan vs. Mexico. Yeah, you're right. It won't be that bad. Maybe I can have some sushi with chilli.

[minionofmidas]

If Tahiti does not win I shall consider the Confederations Cup an unnecessary failure of a tournament.

Ding ding ding! Surprised it took so long but there it is: your first message of ironic support for Tahiti!

Really? The first one? Oh dear. I guess I forgot to include a message of support when I discussed how they got to the CC in the first place.

[minionofmidas]

I have searched for it, and indeed I did not. I guess I'll have to put something in my sig to make up for it.

[Keystone Phil]

Kickoff is tomorrow (Saturday)! Let's get our preliminary predictions in before kickoff of the opening match (3 PM Eastern/4 PM Brasilia, Brazil).

I'm going to start with my extended preliminary prediction (Team's total points at the end of the Group stage and knockout round results) but will also post a game-by-game score prediction before each match kicks off. I hope others will join in. It was fun when we did it for the Euros.

Here's how I see things shaping up:


Group A

Italy -  7
Brazil -  5
Mexico -  2
Japan -  1

Group B

Spain -  9
Uruguay -  4
Nigeria -  4
Tahiti -  0

Uruguay advances on goal difference.

Semi Finals

Italy vs. Uruguay
Spain vs. Brazil

Third Place Match

Uruguay vs. Brazil


Final

Italy vs. Spain


Now it might be a bit of wishful thinking but remember: I was one of the very few (maybe only around here) that called an Italy-Spain Euro Final last year before the tournament began when few ever imagined Italy even making it past the Semi or Quarter Final. My winner prediction was ultimately wrong but I'm feeling better this time.

[Lief 🗽]

Here are my predictions (* = wins on penalties).

Brazil 1 - 1 Japan
Mexico 0 - 1 Italy

Brazil 3 - 2 Mexico
Italy 2 - 2 Japan

Italy 2 - 1 Brazil
Japan 1 - 0 Mexico

Italy 7
Japan 5
Brazil 4
Mexico 0

Spain 1 - 0 Uruguay
Tahiti 1 - 0 Nigeria

Spain 4 - 0 Tahiti
Nigeria 2 - 2 Uruguay

Nigeria 0 - 1 Spain
Tahiti 1 - 1 Uruguay

Spain 9
Tahiti 4
Uruguay 2
Nigeria  1

Tahiti 0* - 0 Italy
Japan 1 - 0 Spain

Spain 2 - 3 Italy

Tahiti 0 - 2 Japan

[Keystone Phil]

You're horrible.

[Lief 🗽]

What why? Third is good!

[Keystone Phil]

What why? Third is good!

Your predictions aren't serious.

And in this tournament, finishing third might be better than winning it all since the winners have never gone on to win (or even contest the following, if I recall correctly) World Cup Final. So I wasn't irritated by that part of your post.

[Lief 🗽]

Well my group A predictions are serious. Group B is of course very wishful thinking (though even more wishful thinking would be Spain somehow getting eliminated as well...).

[7,052,770]

Why does Tahiti have a team?  Does each piece of French Polynesia compete separately?  Wouldn't they be a stronger team if they competed together?

Why not also get with Wallis & Futina and New Caledonia and compete as "French Pacific" or something?

And similar to a question I asked previously, if Tahiti ever had a player good enough to make France's team, would he switch over and play for France?

[Keystone Phil]

And similar to a question I asked previously, if Tahiti ever had a player good enough to make France's team, would he switch over and play for France?

Depends on the player's preference obviously but he most likely would.

[minionofmidas]

Why does Tahiti have a team?  Does each piece of French Polynesia compete separately?  Wouldn't they be a stronger team if they competed together?

It's actually the team of all of French Polynesia. Over two thirds of whose population live on Tahiti, and I doubt much football is played on many of the smaller islands. It's just called Tahiti for historical reasons; it has existed since the 1950s. New Caledonia has a team of its own since 2004; none of the other remaining French colonies has a team.

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Tahiti's only current player good enough to play in major European leagues, Marama Vahirua, moved to France at age 18 and actually played for France's U-21 but never the first team. Only now, ten years later and on account of the Confed Cup did they draft him back into the Tahitian squad. His cousing Pascal Vahirua did play for France in the early 90s. Similarly Christian Karembeu (of the 98 and 2000 tournament-winning French squad) is a New Caledonian. (Summary: "yes".)

[Tender Branson]

Brazil vs. Japan

2-1

Mexico vs. Italy

0-2

Spain vs. Uruguay

1-1

[Keystone Phil]

I think Brazil gets a bit of a scare:

Brazil -  2
Japan -  1

[7,052,770]

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You can switch teams?  Something's wrong with that.

I say every country should have 1 team, and if you're a dependency like French Polynesia, you play on and root for France.

[Lief 🗽]

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You can switch teams?  Something's wrong with that.

I say every country should have 1 team, and if you're a dependency like French Polynesia, you play on and root for France.

You can switch youth teams (like you can play for the France under-21s and then the Tahiti Senior team) but you can't switch between the actual teams.