Confederations Cup 2013 Bracket: Matchups Every Fan Should Want to See

The mid-to-late June Confederations Cup is a great opportunity for us to get a look at some of the contending teams heading into the 2014 World Cup.

Not only will the talents of these clubs be on display, but the venues for those highly anticipated summer matches in Brazil will be showcased throughout the event.

Thrilling World Cup qualifying matches are also currently in full swing, but this tournament has some intriguing matches lined up in its own right.

Clubs that succeed will help themselves build some momentum toward their qualifying bids and for their hopeful tournament runs next summer.

Let’s take a look at the brackets and highlight a couple matches you can’t miss in Brazil this month.

Participants

Group A		Group B
Brazil		Spain
Japan		Uruguay
Mexico		Tahiti
Italy		Nigeria

Bracket and Schedule

Group A

Match	Date	Venue	Team		Team
1	June 15	Brasilia	Brazil	vs.	Japan
2	June 16	Rio De Janeiro	Mexico	vs.	Italy
5	June 19	Fortaleza	Brazil	vs.	Mexico
6	June 19	Recife	Italy	vs.	Japan
9	June 22	Salvador	Italy	vs.	Brazil
10	June 22	Belo Horizonte	Japan	vs.	Mexico

Group B

Match	Date	Venue	Team		Team
3	June 16	Recife	Spain	vs.	Uruguay
4	June 17	Belo Horizonte	Tahiti	vs.	Nigeria
7	June 20	Rio De Janeiro	Spain	vs.	Tahiti
8	June 20	Salvador	Nigeria	vs.	Uruguay
11	June 23	Fortaleza	Nigeria	vs.	Spain
12	June 23	Recife	Uruguay	vs.	Tahiti

Semifinals

Match	Date	Venue	Team		Team
13	June 26	Belo Horizonte	1A	vs.	2B
14	June 27	Fortaleza	1B	vs.	2A

Third-Place Game

Match	Date	Venue	Team		Team
15	June 30	Salvador	L13	vs.	L14

Finals

Match	Date	Venue	Team		Team
16	June 30	Rio De Janeiro	W13	vs.	W14

Top Matchups to Watch

June 16: Spain vs. Uruguay

The current world and European champions are the heavy favorites to run away with the Confederations Cup crown. With their World Cup title on the line next summer, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them cruise to easy victories throughout the group stage.

If there is anyone who can challenge Spanish dominance along the way in Group B, it’s Uruguay. Things will most likely fall in Vicente del Bosque’s favor in this one, but it’s sure to be an exciting early ride.

Group B will likely end up with these two clubs on top. Getting things started with a top matchup like this is sure to get fans riveted for the action to come throughout the tournament. 

June 22: Italy vs. Brazil

Group A is stacked from top to bottom with some very exciting teams that could provide a thrilling finale in Brazil. This June 22 matchup will be the last for these two clubs and will likely carry tremendous implications.

There is still a lot to be learned about the vastly talented but underperforming hosts. A late-stage win over the Italians would help answer some questions for the young club heading into next summer.

Italy has some questions of their own. Their mix of talented young stars and trusty veterans were embarrassed 4-0 in the Euro 2012 finals by Spain. Have they learned from that setback and will they be able to survive their difficult draw in Brazil?

By the end of this one we'll have a little better of an idea where both of these two clubs are at heading into the knockout stage.

June 30: Spain vs. Brazil (Potential)

What better way to finish to the Confederations Cup can you think of than the Brazilians playing host to the best side in the world? This match is still highly tentative, but the tournament could very well come down to these two giants.

Brazilian star and La Liga-bound Neymar agrees, according to Barcastuff on Twitter:

Here the Brazilians would field some of the top individual players in the world in an exciting contest against the dominant Spaniards. They are obviously no slouches themselves in the talent department either.

No matter where your national loyalties lie, this is a match that will draw you in and keep you there for its duration. A win against the Brazilians on Brazilian soil would be a coup for Spain, one that the host club wouldn’t forget as they prepare for next summer.