Confederations Cup 2013 Standings: Biggest Takeaways from Group Stage Thus Far

With Brazilian protests looming large over the 2013 Confederations Cup, casting a shadow over proceedings, it's easy to forget that the best soccer in the world is currently taking place in South America.

Spain, Italy and Brazil came into the event as (arguably) the favorites to take home the Confederations Cup crown, and none of them have disappointed. Each of the three favorites have an undefeated record heading into this weekend's action, with a Group A-deciding match between Brazil and Italy being tops on the marquee.

While not quite yet involved in any classics, Spain has also made a name for themselves in their two matches. They've established a dominance over the international competition once again, playing with such a lack of errors that it's become almost distracting.

Elsewhere, the tension in the weekend battles will be palpable. Mexico and Japan will fight to avoid the distinction of losing every Group A contest, while Uruguay and Nigeria both fight to keep their hopes alive. It will be a captivating weekend of soccer in Brazil, which will only lead to more thrilling action once elimination play begins.

With that in mind, let's take a look at where every team stands in their respective groups and break down some major takeaways from action thus far. 

2013 FIFA Confederations Cup Standings

Group A

Country (Record)	GF	GA	Points
Brazil (2-0)	5	0	6
Italy (2-0)	6	4	6
Mexico (0-2)	1	4	0
Japan (0-2)	3	7	0

Group B

Country (Record)	GF	GA	Points
Spain (2-0)	12	1	6
Nigeria (1-1)	7	3	3
Uruguay (1-1)	3	3	3
Tahiti (0-2)	1	16	0

Biggest Group Takeaways

Tahiti Is Not Ready for This Stage

Heading into the Confederations Cup, it was all but a formality that Tahiti would finish in fourth place in Group B. They were a Cinderella team in capturing last year's OFC Nations Cup, a triumph that put the Tahitians in just their second FIFA tournament in history. Ranked outside the top-100 in the overall rankings, this had all the makings to be understandably ugly or shockingly beautiful.

Either way, no one expected this level of domination. Tahiti has been outscored 16-1 through their first two games, making Nigeria look like Spain and Spain look like an amalgamation of all players ranked 90 overall and above from FIFA 13. It's gotten so bad for Tahiti in Brazil that tweets like this are getting retweeted over 2,200 times:

There's always a fine line between losing gracefully and embarrassment. When a No. 16 seed in college basketball's NCAA tournament falls by 25 points, the overall reaction was that an overmatched team put up a good effort. Tahiti's trip to the Confederations Cup is like that same team losing its first matchup by 50, then coming out and losing by 100 the next time out.

As noted by ESPN's Paul Carr, Spain's 10-0 drubbing of the Tahitians on Thursday was the first time any goal differential had hit double-digits in a senior FIFA tournament:

That's not meant to deride the Tahitians. They've accomplished more than anyone could have thought in merely qualifying for this event. It's just been jarring to see a team get pummeled so viciously on a national stage. And even in defeat, the team and its consummate effort has become a crowd favorite in Brazil.

"I'm still in the stars," said Tahiti goalkeeper Mikael Roche (per Associated Press, h/t SFGate.com). "I will never forget what they (the crowd) did for us tonight. I want to thank them so much. It's been incredible. Incredible."

Here's to hoping—at least for non-Uruguayans—that Tahiti can at least leave with their heads held high by putting up a good fight on Sunday. But after these first two matches, betting on that would probably be a losing battle.

Spain Is Still the World's Best Team

While it's hard to take many positives away from losing 10-0, the Tahitians do have one minor accomplishment they can point to: They had more success passing against Spain than Uruguay. ESPN's Paul Carr, who spent much of his match tallying up the nail-biting race, came through with a stat noting the Tahitians' moral victory over Spain's first group opponent:

The important takeaway here has nothing to do with dribbling. It's that Spain, no matter whether it's against the overmatched Tahitians or a very underrated Uruguay squad, is flexing their muscles in Brazil. Their record-smashing defeat over Tahiti included two hat tricks (David Villa and Fernando Torres, who had four goals), exactly zero shots on goal for the opponent and an absolutely San Antonio Spursian passing performance at the midfield.

And, despite the lessened goal differential, the level of play was arguably greater against Uruguay. The Spaniards held possession for three quarters of the match, allowed only two shots on goal (one a very nice Luis Suarez goal) and nearly stretched their 2-1 victory on multiple occasions.

As if there was any doubt heading into this event who was the favorite, top-ranked Spain made it quite clear. Their luck of the draw gave them lesser competition than the Group of Death in Group A, but there was arguably no team in the world that could have beaten Spain in their first two Confederations Cup clashes.

It's been as if Spain was fully aware of the history at stake. With a triumph down in Brazil, Spain can become the third country to win FIFA's three major tournaments, joining Argentina and France. With the way Torres and Villa looked striking the ball on Thursday and the way Cesc Fabregas et al. have dominated the pitch passing, it's going to be a major challenge for any team trying to unseat the defending World Cup champs.

Brazilian Beatdowns

Casual fans, ones that don't realize how these things work, had to wonder if Brazil had "fallen off" over these past couple years. One of the world's most powerful countries, the Brazilians were 22nd in the FIFA rankings heading into their hosting duties these past couple weeks. Normally, when a team starts cascading down rankings like the 2012 USC Trojans, bad things have happened.

Those who paid attention knew better. Brazil, with little to prove to anyone, pretty much took the last couple years off from sanctioned competition. Outside of the Copa America and Olympic competitions, Brazil's last couple years of international competition have been friendly—pun intended.

It's typical, then, for skepticism about Brazil showing dominance—not just merely being good—while hosting this event. You can win as many friendlies as you want; can you keep it up on the biggest stage while handling the pressures of being the host country?

Two words: Of course. Julio Cesar has consecutive clean sheets in this year's action, blanking Japan and Mexico as Brazil floated on to a 5-0 aggregate goal differential so far. In a tournament where disappointment was very possible—especially considering the draw—Brazil's performance has been nothing short of exemplary.

Neymar has gotten the Brazilians off to a sterling start, scoring goals within the first 10 minutes of both matches. Jo has served as something of a closer, with two scores in the 90th minute serving as cappers to dominant wins.

Saturday will see the host country get its first real test in Italy. Like Brazil, the Italians have captured victories in their first two matches—albeit in much closer fashion. This contest will undoubtedly have massive stakes, with the loser likely having to face Spain in the semifinals. With so much at stake, that match is certainly the most anticipated of this weekend. 

Complete 2013 Confederations Cup Group Schedule

*Courtesy of FIFA.com

Group A

Match No.	When	Where	Watch	Country	Country
9	June 22 at 3 p.m. ET	Salvador	ESPNNews	Italy	Brazil
10	June 22 at 3 p.m. ET	Belo Horizonte	ESPN	Japan	Mexico

Group B

Match No.	When	Where	Watch	Country	Country
11	June 23 at 3 p.m. ET	Fortaleza	ESPN	Nigeria	Spain
12	June 23 at 3 p.m. ET	Recife	ESPN2	Uruguay	Tahiti

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