CONFEDERATIONS CUP 2013: PLAYERS TO WATCH (Part I)

The Confederations Cup 2013 is here and Brazil gets ready for a glimpse of the football that will be in full swing next year. Part I of a look at the players to watch out for through the tournament.

BRAZIL

Neymar, Barcelona (Forward)

He has the tricks, the multi-million dollar sponsorship deals, the recent big money move to Barcelona along with the media buzz and hype; but all of that will count for nothing if the ‘most marketable athlete in the world’ falls flat in the famed Yellow shirt of Brazil.

This year will mark the beginning of a new and more challenging phase for Neymar; he will turn out for Barcelona next season after his €57 million transfer, a new environment and one where the level of football is obviously a huge step up from the Brasileirao. And then, there’s the pressure of delivering the World Cup for football crazy Brazil after the disappointments of the two previous editions.

There is no questioning the talent of Barcelona’s newest acquisition; however the terms ‘overrated’, ‘over-hyped’ and the like have been aimed at his feet in the last year or so after his failure to replicate his brilliant form for the national side. His performances at the last Copa America and the London Olympics didn’t help matters either. There are some elite teams in the fray in the Confed Cup and the tournament presents him with the chance to show everyone that he can cut it at the highest level.

Hernanes, Lazio (Attacking Midfielder)

The Lazio man will be a key component for the Brazilians as he is the one true playmaker in the side. While Oscar is very good in moving forward with the ball and initiating the neat 1-2’s, it is Hernanes who will be key to Brazil having good possession. He is good with both feet and has the ability to spray the ball out wide to stretch the play. He also has a good and powerful shot on him. He has struck up a nice partnership with Miroslav Klose at Lazio and will be looking to develop a similar understanding with Fred and Neymar.

David Luiz, Chelsea (Centre-back)

Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has partnered Luiz with captain Thiago Silva in most of the friendlies. Luiz has great skill on the ball, but his defensive capabilities have been found wanting at times with the odd mistake often seen from the bushy-haired defender. He will come up against some of the best attacks in the world at this event and how he fares could determine whether he starts the World Cup on the field or on the bench. It’s also an opportunity for him to show new Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who we hear is not entirely convinced about the Brazilian, his ability to hold his own in that position.

JAPAN

Keisuke Honda, CSKA Moscow (Attacking Midfielder)

Japan became the first nation to qualify for Brazil 2014 after Honda converted an injury time penalty against Australia to earn a 1-1 draw for his team. He has had an injury-riddled season, but is one of the main stars in this Japanese team. He plays in that central attacking midfielder’s role and sometimes even behind the main striker. Honda is a great dribbler and very good from set piece situations, especially his superb free-kicks. He has 14 goals in 42 appearances for Japan with 5 of them coming in the qualification campaign for next year’s World Cup.

Shinji Okazaki, Vfb Stuttgart (Forward)

The Japanese front man has been in good form for the ‘Blue Samurais’ in 2013 with 4 goals from 5 games; he has 8 overall in the World Cup 2014 qualifiers. Okazaki is a prolific goal scorer at national level with 33 goals in his 63 appearances overall. He picked up a runners-up medal in the DFB Pokal Cup where Stuttgart were beaten 3-2 by Bayern Munich.

Yasuhito Endo, Gamba Osaka (Central midfielder)

Endo is one of the most long standing icons of Japanese football. Now 33, he is been around on the international scene for almost 12 years. Widely revered as one of the most creative players of his generation, Endo has exceptional passing ability and is great with free-kicks. Along with Honda, the duo will pose a threat to all opponents from set pieces. Also, as a veteran in the game, he brings a calming influence to the Japanese team.

MEXICO

Giovanni Dos Santos, Mallorca (Attacking midfielder/Winger)

It feels like Dos Santos has been around forever, yet he’s only 24. Ever since his triumph at the U-17 World Cup in 2005, Dos Santos has been something of a ‘golden boy’ for Mexico with many expecting him to emerge as a real superstar. That hasn’t happened, partially down to his club hopping; the last 4 seasons he has played for a different club each time.

He is a vet at the international stage with 62 caps already to his name in which he has scored 14 times. He was a member of the Gold medal winning team at last year’s London Olympics where they beat Brazil in the final. In the 2010 World Cup, he finished 2^nd in the votes for the ‘Young Player of the Tournament’ award behind Germany’s Thomas Müller.

Mallorca have been relegated from the La Liga and the tournament will serve as an important platform for Dos Santos to try and resuscitate his career by drawing the attention of some of the big clubs.

Javier Hernandez, Manchester United (Forward)

‘Chicharito’ played in the shadows of Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney during the 2012-13 season and yet managed 10 goals and 5 assists for Man United in 22 appearances (only 9 of which were starts). Overall, he had 18 goals from 36 appearances, a goal every other game. For Mexico, he has an even better scoring average with 32 goals from 47 caps, 0.69 goals a game.

All of which point to the inescapable fact that the 25 year old is a proven goal scorer, something that his national side will be relying on as they look to go deep in this year’s Confederations Cup.

Andres Guardado, Valencia (Winger)

Key player for Valencia last term after his move from Deportivo La Coruna, Guardado predominantly plays as the left winger and is adept at taking on full backs and whipping in crosses. He has already represented Mexico in 2 World Cups as well as the 2007 Copa America.

ITALY

Mario Balotelli, AC Milan (Forward)

Following his move to Milan from Manchester City, there was a breath of fresh air for Mario as he guided Milan to 3^rd spot in Serie A clinching Champions League football in the process. After ending his fractious stay at City, Balotelli has had a wonderful second half of 2012-13 as he scored 12 goals in his 13 appearances for Milan.

He did have that memorable semi-final performance against Germany in the Euros last year, but save for that, his performances have been nothing spectacular. For all his talent, he is yet to display that consistency and there is still that little bit of immaturity from him on the field.

Former Brazil striker Ronaldo, recently had some words of advice for Mario asking him not to throw away his talent like Adriano did. Balotelli, in all likelihood, will be leading the line for Italy at next summer’s World Cup. Like Neymar and Dos Santos above, he needs to show us that he’s worth the hype.

Riccardo Montolivo, AC Milan (Midfielder)

Like Michael Carrick for Manchester United, Montolivo will not blow you away with any great stats. But his importance to Milan and Italy are unquestionable. Montolivo primarily operates as a deep lying playmaker, but can move into a more attacking role when the situation calls for it.

He has great passing range and good ability on the ball and is viewed as the successor to Andrea Pirlo in the heart of Italy’s midfield. He has had a great season with Milan after he moved there last summer following 7 seasons at Fiorentina. Italy will look to him to set up their attacking rhythm. And like Carrick, he is a very neat interceptor which helps his side break up the play of opponents.

The Trio of Andre Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, Juventus (Centre-backs)

Sumptuous goals, dribbles, stepovers, cute backheels all make for great viewing. So does the art of defending as exemplified by this famed trio. It does help when you play with each other so often as these 3 do for both club and country.

Watching Bonucci, Chiellini and Barzagli go about their defensive duties is a joy to behold. The organization and synchronization of their play is simply outstanding. Their positional play is so wonderful that it feels like they have an almost telepathic understanding of where the other is. The way they get their tackles and interceptions in, then recycle the ball and release it forward is like clockwork. Apart from the final, where 

Spain literally picked them apart, the Italian defence stood firm against all and sundry.

The Azzuri will look forward to more of the same from its 3 defensive specialists.

Balotelli credits sizzling form to new found love

Mario Balotelli has had a blistering start to his AC Milan career. The 22 year old forward has already scored 7 goals in his 6 Serie A games for the Rossoneri and has helped in their rise up the table. He has also been in good form for the National side scoring a brace in the qualifier against Malta and a goal in their friendly against Brazil. Balotelli had become an isolated figure at Manchester City where he had become embroiled in on and off the field controversies and run-ins with fellow players and City manager Roberto Mancini. This led to his £19 million move to Milan in January.

And the Italian has attributed his recent success to his new girlfriend Fanny Nguesha. Balotelli met Nguesha late last year and the two have been going out ever since. The happiness in his love life seems to have directly resulted in an increase in productivity on the pitch.

“Am I in love? Yes,” Balotelli said. “She is determined, confident and generous. In a short space of time she found herself in sync with me.

“I could spend my whole life with someone like this. Thanks to Fanny I have rediscovered the balance that I need in my work”, added Balotelli.

He continued: “She puts our relationship first and foremost, so there are no distractions or rows before games. It’s not easy to be with me, because I almost have to give up on a private life, as I am constantly exposed to the public.”

Mario had earlier split from his former girlfriend Raffaella Fico with whom he had a daughter named Pia.

Balotelli was cup-tied in the UEFA Champions League, having represented City in the group stages and hence could not play for Milan against Barcelona. He will look to re-unite with the likes of Stephan El Shaarawy and Riccardo Montolivo at club level this weekend as Serie A action resumes with Milan travelling to Chievo.

World Cup 2014 UEFA Qualifiers: Dutch stay perfect while England hold on for draw

GROUP A
Serbia 2-0 Scotland
Belgium 1-0 Macedonia
Wales 1-2 Croatia

Former Arsenal man Eduardo Da Silva scored a late winner as Croatia came from behind to beat Wales in an entertaining game at the Liberty Stadium. Gareth Bale had earlier given the hosts the lead on 21 minutes from the penalty spot. It was Bale’s 5th goal in his last 6 internationals. The goal spurred the home team on and they finished the half the better side with Bale being denied by Croatian keeper Stipe Pletikosa a few times. The visitors stepped up their game in the second period and their efforts were rewarded when Dejan Lovren’s header pulled them level with 13 minutes to go. Having gotten back into the game, the Croats went for the kill and Eduardo’s low shot guaranteed all 3 points for Croatia.

The late show in Swansea meant Belgium had to win their game to keep pace at the top. Win they did and Eden Hazard was once again on the score-sheet as his goal gave Belgium a narrow 1-0 win over Macedonia. The win keeps them top ahead of Croatia only on goal difference with both teams on 16 points.

Scotland became the first European nation to be eliminated from World Cup qualification after their 2-0 loss in Serbia. The defeat was Scotland’s fourth in a row in competitive matches and means that they have no chance of overhauling either Belgium or Croatia at the top of the group. Filip Djuricic scored both of the home side’s goals within a span of 5 minutes in the second half. Djuricic currently plays for Heerenveen, but will be moving to Benfica in the summer.

GROUP B
Malta 0-2 Italy
Denmark 1-1 Bulgaria
Armenia 0-3 Czech Republic

Mario Balotelli continued his hot streak and was the star man for Italy scoring both goals in a less than convincing 2-0 win away at tiny island nation Malta. Balotelli scored an 8th minute penalty to hand the visitors an early advantage. Gianluigi Buffon then gave away a penalty after Claudio Marchisio’s horror backpass sold him short. But, he redeemed himself by saving the penalty and Malta were denied a way back into the game. On the stroke of half-time Balotelli’s cool finish put the Italians in total control and the ‘Azzuri’ were on cruise control for the rest of the game.

The Czechs rebounded from their loss to Denmark with a victory by an identical score line.  An excellent counter-attacking display away at Armenia saw the Czechs move above Denmark in the group and lie 3rd 2 points behind Bulgaria.

Denmark were held by Bulgaria to a 1-1 draw. Danish skipper Daniel Agger scored from the spot to equalize after Sergiy Manolev had given the Bulgarians the lead on 51 minutes. The result means that both sides are still in the hunt for the second spot which would give them a playoff berth. The result was favourable for the Italians as it pretty much assures them of automatic qualification holding a 3 point lead over  Bulgaria with a game in hand.

GROUP C
Germany 4-1 Kazakhstan
Republic of Ireland 2-2 Austria

Joachim Loew’s German team put in a virtuoso first half performance as they dismantled minnows Kazakhstan in the return fixture at home after a 3-0 win away on Friday. Marko Reus opened the scoring in the 23rd minute and 10 minutes later Germany were up 3-0 with Mario Gotze and Ilkay Gundogan adding to the tally. The Kazakhs pulled one back just after half-time but it was no more than a consolation as Reus rounded things off in style with his second on 90 minutes.

David Alaba’s superb strike deep into injury time with virtually the last kick of the game denied Giovanni Trapattoni’s boys in green a home victory. Ireland had to settle for a share of the spoils and will once again rue a missed opportunity that jeopardizes their hopes of qualification. Ireland were very impressive and got back into the game brilliantly after Martin Harnik put the Austrians ahead on 11 minutes. West Brom striker Shane Long in particular had a stellar outing as the Irish fought back to turn the game in their favour with 2 goals from Jonathan Walters, the first of which was a penalty on 25 minutes. They went into the break ahead 2-1 and the Austrians came out battling in the second period as they laid siege to the Irish goal. They were rewarded ultimately when Alaba was given space just outside the box as he unleashed a left footed drive that looked to have taken a slight deflection on its way to goal.

GROUP D
Netherlands 4-0 Romania
Turkey 1-1 Hungary
Estonia 2-0 Andorra

Robin Van Persie scored a brace as the Dutch continued their impressive form registering their 6th successive win of the campaign to maintain their perfect record. The victory also means that the Netherlands win their last 16 qualifying games, both Euros and World Cup put together. Van Persie passed Dutch legend Johann Cruyff in the goal scoring charts with his double strike at the Amsterdam Arena. He now has 17 qualifier goals (again, both Euros and World Cup) and is level with Denis Bergkamp. Rafael Van der Vaart also scored for the second game running with Jermaine Lens adding one in the 90th minute.

Turkey and Hungary played out a 1-1 draw in Istanbul. Burak Yilmaz has been a goal machine this season and he gave the Turks the lead yet again. Hungary though found the equalizer on 73 minutes to earn a point. The Hungarians will see it as a point gained as it moves them ahead of Romania to second place in the group.

   
GROUP E (no Group E games scheduled for midweek)

GROUP F
Azerbaijan 0-2 Portugal
Northern Ireland 0-2 Israel

Portugal got back to winning ways with a comfortable win over Azerbaijan. Bruno Alves once again was on the score-sheet for the Portuguese for whom the win was a much needed one after they only managed a 3-3 draw on Friday against Israel.

Israel also won by the same margin beating Northern Ireland at Belfast with goals from Lior Rafaelov and Eden Ben Basat.

GROUP G (no games played in GROUP G)

GROUP H
Montenegro 1-1 England
Poland 5-0 San Marino
Ukraine 2-1 Moldova

In a game of two halves, England surrendered the early initiative to return home from Podgorica with a 1-1 draw. England were superb in the first half and dismal in the second. Slick passing with excellent ball movement saw the English assert their dominance in the first period and Wayne Rooney on his return to Montenegro got the opening goal. But, in the second half, England wilted under the constant pressure of the home side and in the end were lucky to emerge with a point as they withstood a battering from the Montenegrins in the second half. Dejan Damjanovic scored the equalizer for the hosts. The draw means England stay 2 points behind Montenegro and if they finish second would have to go through the playoffs to secure a place in Brazil next year.

Poland hammered whipping boys San Marino for five as Robert Lewandowski bagged a brace and his Borussia Dortmund colleague Tomasz Piszczek also scored.

Ukraine beat Moldova 2-1 to keep up with the leading pack. They are level on points with Poland, 4 points behind England, but both sides have played a game less and can cut the gap to one.

GROUP I
France 0-1 Spain

World and European champions Spain got back to the top of Group I with a 1-0 victory at the Stade de France courtesy a Pedro Rodrigues goal. In a game with chances for both sides, France had their  opportunities , but they lacked the cutting edge up front as Karim Benzema continued his barren run in front of goal which is now in excess of 1000 minutes of football after yesterday’s game.

In the only game on the night in Group I, Pedro’s strike helped lift the Spaniards over France in the standings. The first half saw both teams go close with Andres Iniesta and Franck Ribery missing gilt-edged chances. The two keepers, Hugo Lloris for France and Victor Valdes for Spain, were also in top form as they kept their sides in the game. Pedro then broke the deadlock in the second half after latching on to a lovely cut back from Nacho Monreal who was deputising for the injured Jordi Alba at left-back.

France’s attempts to get back in the game got that much harder when they were reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of midfielder Paul Pogba. The young French midfielder earned 2 quick yellows in less than 60 seconds for a couple of dangerous tackles that brought his participation to an early end.

Brazil vs Italy: A meeting of old foes

It is international break time again. And it's a period that often causes much agitation to many a football manager. Players get time out to either put their feet up, do punditry, jet off AWOL and issue 'come and get me' pleas. Some players do however get the chance to represent their countries in friendlies and qualifiers.

Brazil continue their World Tour with a friendly against Italy tonight in Geneva. Brazil being the hosts of next year's FIFA World Cup have to resort to such games to give their players much playing time as they are exempted from playing their regional qualifiers. The Italians meanwhile play only one qualifier as compared to the other teams.

The 2 countries are the most successful nations at the World Cup with a combined 9 trophies between them. Brazil won their 5th crown in 2002 at Korea/Japan while Italy last lifted the trophy in the subsequent edition in 2006 in Germany.

Since then, Spain have come to be the dominant team in world football and few teams have managed to knock them off the perch. With a World Cup and 2 European championships, the Spaniards' dominance has been total. Other teams from the continent such as Germany and Netherlands have also seen a revival. Brazil and South American football have been pushed to the fringes a bit and on the world stage their flair has been countered by the clinical efficiency of the continental game. Uruguay, South America's sole representative in the semis of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and their success to a good degree can be attributed to the fact that they now play a European type of game.

The current Brazilian crop is one that is looking for an identity. As always, there is never shortage of prodigious talent from the Selecao. The star of the lot is Neymar, the preening 21 year old striker from Sao Paulo. The man billed as the 'most marketable sports star in the world' has been the subject of much transfer talk for a few years now as he's linked to a move to Barcelona or Real Madrid. Giving him company are a host of other youngsters such as Oscar from Chelsea, Lucas Moura from PSG and also Danilo, David Luiz and Leandro Damiao. Thiago Silva and Hulk, both only 26, are the veteran faces in the team but Silva is missing from the game due to an injury. Dante and David Luiz, are likely to don the defensive responsibilities for Brazil in his absence. Luiz Felipe Scolari was brought in at the end of last year for his 2nd stint as Manger of the Selecao as the Federation lost faith in Mano Menezes. In their last outing which was Scolari's first game in charge, they were beaten 2-1 by England at Wembley quite comfortably on a night when only Neymar and Oscar showed some signs of fight. They are on a rebuilding phase and every match provides a window for Scolari to test players in order to come up with the best possible squad going into the World Cup at home. Ronaldinho was recalled for the England game but his poor showing sees him axed and Kaka has been given a call-up.

Italy finished Runner-Up only to Spain in last year's European Championships. Cesare Prandelli's Italy are a well established team with a set squad. They do play more attacking football unlike teams of the past. However, they are still a very solid unit defensively marshaled by the excellent trio of Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli. The evergreen Andrea Pirlo leads the midfield pack ably assisted by Claudio Marchisio and Daniele de Rossi. This is one area of the pitch where the advantage is clearly with the Italians. Mario Balotelli has been on a roll for AC Milan in Serie A since sealing a move to the Rossoneri from Manchester City in the January transfer window. He has scored 8 goals in 7 games and was a key player in Italy's run to the finals, especially in the semis where his power packed performance put paid to Germany's hopes. Italy are top of their qualifying group, a healthy 4 point lead.

The two teams last met in the Confederations Cup in 2009 with Brazil winning on the night 3-0. Brazil had defeated Italy on penalties in the finals of the 1994 World Cup when led by Dunga they lifted their 4th title.
Italy will travel to Brazil again later in the year for the latest edition of the same tournament.

Likely XI's
Brazil: Julio Cesar,  Dani Alves, Dante, David Luiz, Filipe Luis, Fernando, Hernanes, Hulk, Oscar, Neymar, Fred


Italy: Buffon; Maggio, Bonucci, Barzagli, De Sciglio; De Rossi, Pirlo, Marchisio; Giaccherini; Osvaldo, Balotelli.