FIFA Confederations Cup 2013: Where to Watch Tournament's Remaining Action
June 20, 2013
You can’t afford to miss one of the upcoming FIFA Confederations Cup fixtures, as the tournament is starting to get extremely interesting.
Two clubs have advanced to the elimination round already, and in the coming days we’ll know who the other two semifinalists are. There are still several scenarios as to which teams will still be in title contention after the weekend’s matches have concluded.
How can you make sure that you don’t miss a match? Don’t worry, as I’ve got you covered with everything you need to know.
Below is all of the information for the remainder of the Confederations Cup, including match dates, how to watch on TV or online and a prediction for how the rest of the tournament will play out.
Complete Confederations Cup Schedule
| Group A | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Time | Location | Teams | TV | Stream |
| Sat., June 22 | 3 p.m. ET | Salvador | Italy vs. Brazil | ESPN News | WatchESPN |
| Sat., June 22 | 3 p.m. ET | Belo Horizonte | Japan vs. Mexico | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| Group B | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Time | Location | Teams | TV | Stream |
| Thurs., June 20 | 3 p.m. ET | Rio De Janeiro | Spain vs. Tahiti | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| Thurs., June 20 | 6 p.m. ET | Salvador | Nigeria vs. Uruguay | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| Sun., June 23 | 3 p.m. ET | Fortaleza | Nigeria vs. Spain | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| Sun., June 23 | 3 p.m. ET | Recife | Uruguay vs. Tahiti | ESPN 2 | WatchESPN |
| Knockout Stage | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Time | Location | Teams | TV | Stream |
| Wed., June 26 | 3 p.m. ET | Belo Horizonte | Group A (1) vs. Group B (2) | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| Thurs., June 27 | 3 p.m. ET | Fortaleza | Group B (1) vs. Group A (2) | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| Sun., June 30 | 12 p.m. ET | Salvador | Third-Place Game | ESPN 2 | WatchESPN |
| Sun., June 30 | 6 p.m. ET | Rio De Janeiro | Final | ESPN | WatchESPN |
Predicted Winners
Group A Winners
Brazil and Italy clinched their way to the elimination round of the tournament after both teams won their first two matches. Not everything has been decided, though. This weekend the two teams will face off, and the winner will be the No. 1 seed coming out of Group A. The loser will end up being the No. 2 seed.
Brazil has been incredible through its first pair of matches. Neymar has been the MVP of the Confederations Cup to this point, scoring a goal in each of the fixtures. Julio Cesar has yet to allow a goal and has seven saves to his credit. If Cesar can shut out Italy, there’s no doubt that the host team will be the favorite to win it all.
Don’t count Italy out of the No. 1 seed just yet, though. The Italian has been just as good to start the Confederations Cup. Italy took out Mexico with a goal from Mario Balotelli in the 78th minute and then escaped an upset with a 4-3 victory over Japan. Balotelli has two goals thus far and will certainly be looking to put one past Cesar.
Prediction: Brazil (1) and Italy (2)
Group B Winners
There is still a lot yet to be determined in Group B, as each team has only played in one match. Nigeria destroyed Tahiti—as many expected—and Spain took out Uruguay, 2-1. There’s no question that Spain will be advancing to the elimination round, but the other club is a bit of a toss-up.
Nigeria had no issues against Tahiti, but Uruguay is going to get to play them at all. Whoever beats Tahiti by a larger margin could have major implications on which team advances—in the case that Nigeria and Uruguay would draw when they play on Thursday night. Tahiti has no chance at advancing.
Nnamdi Oduamadi had a hat-trick against Tahiti in Nigeria’s Confederations Cup opener, and Elderson had a pair of goals as well. The key will be scoring against the likes of Iker Casillas (Spain) and Fernando Muslera (Uruguay). If that dynamic duo can’t put a couple of goals in the net, the Nigerians may not advance to the next round.
Prediction: Spain (1) and Nigeria (2)
Confederations Cup Champion
A three-peat.
Brazil and Spain will be the two teams advancing to the Confederations Cup Final, and in the end the home fans will get their wish. The two have never faced off in the final before, and in fact, Spain has never played for the title. The Brazilians will top the Spanish for their third consecutive Confederations Cup Final.
Neymar has been too dangerous to stop. While Casillas has been solid in net for Spain, Neymar will find a way to sneak one by him. Spain has a couple of good goalscorers, but Cesar will stand on his head en route to a championship victory for Brazil.
It will be Brazil’s fourth Confederations Cup crown in the tournament’s history.
Prediction: Brazil over Spain
