Confederations Cup 2013 Schedule: Complete Viewing Guide for Group Action

The World Cup won't take place until next year in Brazil, but this year's Confederations Cup figures to serve as a precursor to that massive event. Not only will it allow the country to prepare for the pageantry of the World Cup, but the teams involved will get valuable experience ahead of it.

Many of the best teams in the world will be involved, such as Spain and host nation Brazil, but there are some intriguing dark horses to keep an eye on as well, including Tahiti and Nigeria. This is among the most prestigious international tournaments in the world, so there is no question that every team involved would love to come away victorious.

Luckily for soccer fans, the entire tournament will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks, so here is a complete breakdown of when and where to watch every Confederations Cup group match.

Where: Brazil

When: Saturday, June 15 through Sunday, June 30

Watch: ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN News

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Group A

Date	Time	Location	Teams	TV	Stream
Saturday, June 15	3 p.m. ET	Brasilia	Brazil vs. Japan	ESPN	WatchESPN
Sunday, June 16	3 p.m. ET	Rio De Janeiro	Mexico vs. Italy	ESPN	WatchESPN
Wednesday, June 19	3 p.m. ET	Fortaleza	Brazil vs. Mexico	ESPN	WatchESPN
Wednesday, June 19	6 p.m. ET	Recife	Italy vs. Japan	ESPN	WatchESPN
Saturday, June 22	3 p.m. ET	Salvador	Italy vs. Brazil	ESPN News	WatchESPN
Saturday, June 22	3 p.m. ET	Belo Horizonte	Japan vs. Mexico	ESPN	WatchESPN

Group B

Date	Time	Location	Teams	TV	Stream
Sunday, June 16	6 p.m. ET	Recife	Spain vs. Uruguay	ESPN	WatchESPN
Monday, June 17	3 p.m. ET	Belo Horizonte	Tahiti vs. Nigeria	ESPN	WatchESPN
Thursday, June 20	3 p.m. ET	Rio De Janeiro	Spain vs. Tahiti	ESPN	WatchESPN
Thursday, June 20	6 p.m. ET	Salvador	Nigeria vs. Uruguay	ESPN	WatchESPN
Sunday, June 23	3 p.m. ET	Fortaleza	Nigeria vs. Spain	ESPN	WatchESPN
Sunday, June 23	3 p.m. ET	Recife	Uruguay vs. Tahiti	ESPN2	WatchESPN

Players to Watch

Neymar

There is plenty of pressure on 21-year-old forward Neymar to lead the charge for Brazilian soccer moving forward, but that pressure will be even greater at the Confederations Cup. Brazilian fans are hungry for a high-level international triumph and they likely know that winning the Confederations Cup would make Brazil the favorite for next year's World Cup.

If Brazil is going to prevail, Neymar absolutely must be on top of his game. The youngster has had a big offseason already as he transferred to Barcelona and will play alongside Lionel Messi next season. Neymar won't have Messi to help him in the upcoming tournament, but he does have a strong supporting cast. Even though Neymar hasn't been a goal-scoring dynamo for Brazil as of late, he isn't worried about it heading into the Confederations Cup, according to SuperSport.

Whether it's fair or not, there will be huge expectations surrounding the Brazilian side in this tournament, and much of the blame will likely fall on Neymar if they fail and he doesn't produce. Because of that, more eyes figure to be on Neymar than any other player at the Confederations Cup.

Luis Suarez

Since he is one of the most polarizing soccer players in the world, it will be very difficult for Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez to remain anonymous in Brazil. While he has certainly had his issues at Liverpool, Suarez is a national hero in Uruguay. He has scored 32 times in 64 matches with his country and will be key to their success in the Confederations Cup.

The important thing for Suarez is finding a way to put his club distractions aside so he can focus on the task at hand. His future at Liverpool is very unclear as a transfer could be in his future. He has had plenty of success at Anfield, but he seems unhappy and hasn't been shy about expressing a desire to play at Real Madrid alongside Cristiano Ronald, according to Goal UK.

Suarez will be expected to come up big in Brazil, but with the likes of Edinson Cavani and Diego Forlan providing support, he should feel fairly comfortable. Perhaps the most intriguing storyline to keep track of is how a fine or poor performance influences his club decision moving forward.

Cesc Fabregas

A big reason for Spain's recent run of success in international is the fact that La Roja doesn't rely on one dominant player. Spain receives contributions throughout its lineup, so it is difficult to point to one player and say that he's more important than the rest. In terms of keeping the Spanish attack linked, though, Cesc Fabregas will need to be on point in Brazil.

The Barcelona star is yet another player with questions surrounding his club status, but there are few doubts about his role with Spain. He is among the most vital players on the entire squad as he is equally capable of setting up teammates or scoring goals in his own right. Spain expects to win this tournament, but it won't be able to do so without steady contributions from Fabregas.

Spain is actually in a very good position as it is admittedly in the weaker group of the two. Uruguay will pose a challenge and Nigeria is tough, but Spain is the top team in the world. It should have little trouble advancing into the knockout round, which is where Fabregas will truly need to shine as the lights will get brighter and the competition will get stiffer.

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