Confederations Cup 2013 Schedule: Complete Viewing Guide to Italy vs. Brazil
Heading into their Group A-deciding fixture on Saturday afternoon, Brazil and Italy have to be nothing short of satisfied with their efforts at the 2013 Confederations Cup thus far.
As the tournament's host country, Brazil has faced a cavalcade of pressure and expectations from their supporters. While playing before a home crowd every outing is a blessing, it can also be a curse when things go wrong. Brazil's passionate fanbase would be disappointed with a loss from miles away, let alone one in their backyard.
Luckily, this Brazilian squad has totally lived up to expectations. They're yet to allow a goal in victories over Japan and Mexico, opening up a five-goal differential that trails only Spain in this event. Considering this was the Brazilians' first real foray into FIFA-sanctioned competition for the better part of two full years, the muscle-flexing has to feel good.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
Italy, another favored country coming into the event, has had a much more eventful time in their two matches. The Italians needed a late Mario Balotelli goal in their opening contest against Mexico and then had to make a torrid comeback versus Japan after digging themselves a 2-0 deficit. They found a way to make it happen, but as competition ratchets up, Italy will have to get themselves in better form at the beginning of matches.
That process starts on Saturday. The victor of this matchup not only captures the Group A crown, but also a likely reprieve from facing Spain before the final—a pretty massive deal if you've seen the way the Spaniards are playing.
With that in mind, here is a complete breakdown of everything you need to know about Saturday afternoon's contest.
Game Information
When: Saturday, June 22, at 3 p.m. ET
Where: Salvador, Brazil
TV: ESPN
Stream: WatchESPN
Players to Watch
Neymar, Brazil
This has been quite a month for Neymar. The 21-year-old Brazilian striker successfully made his move to FC Barcelona, leaving Santos after a long, successful reign that saw him become one of the most tantalizing stars in the world. Still not even in his prime, Neymar will combine with Lionel Messi for the next five years to create arguably the world's best attacking duo.
Barcelona's purchase has been on full display in this year's Confederations Cup. The Brazilian star has made the home crowd swoon with his early-match goals, putting the host country ahead within the first 10 minutes of each of its matches. Those goals obviously served as game-winners because of Julio Cesar's dueling clean sheets, but more than anything Neymar has set a ton of dominance his teammates have followed.
Dribbling around the pitch with a maniacal efficiency and flair, Neymar drew a whopping six fouls in Brazil's triumph over Mexico and four against Japan. His ability to force defenders into mistakes—or even purposeful fouls meant to impede his momentum—has almost given him a LeBron Jamesian aura in the open field.
Those are lofty expectations for Neymar, much as they will be at Barcelona. But every step of the way this kid has shown an ability to handle the moment, and his dominant attacking ability has helped spur an excellent showing from Brazil at the Confed Cup.
With Italy undoubtedly keying their defense on slowing him down, it will be interesting to see how Neymar fares against such a fierce rival.
Mario Balotelli, Italy
Does anyone else envision this match as a reenactment of that classic Michael Jordan-Mia Hamm Gatorade commercial? The one where two spectacular athletes continually try besting the other, each finding success and pushing the other to another stratosphere? Yeah, that one.
In an ideal world, that's what happens when Mario Balotelli and Neymar, two of the most talented young players on the planet, face off. Balotelli, the Italian spark plug known for his flamboyant hairstyle as much as his unbelievable scoring ability, has been the bizarro version of Neymar thus far. Where Neymar has been the igniter early in Brazil's offense, Balotelli has been the closer, scoring the game-winning goal against Mexico in the 78th minute and the clincher on a penalty kick against Japan in the 52nd.
That being said, Balotelli has to play with a chip on his shoulder against the more beloved Neymar to come out on top. While Neymar has both the respect and adoration around the world that few youngsters can gain, Balotelli's potential has often outweighed his performance. There have been multiple bouts with inconsistencies both on the club and international level leaving some to question his mental makeup.
Even Italy manager Cesare Prandelli has been frustrated by his young superstar—especially with his penchant for taking off his shirt.
"Mario needs to stop showing off his muscles," Prandelli said after Balotelli drew a yellow card in Italy's opening-match win over Mexico (via FIFA.com). "With celebrations like that, he’s only going to pick up pointless yellow cards."
Focus. Intelligence. Poise. Those will be the three words Balotelli needs to follow against a tough Brazilian side. Should he keep his composure, there's no reason why he would be unable to excel.
Oscar, Brazil
Perhaps the least touted of all Brazilian midfielders, Oscar's quiet excellence has made plenty of happy campers in the home crowd. The two-man weave Oscar ran with Neymar against Japan was some of the finest playmaking you'll ever see on a national stage.
They pulverized a Japanese defense that came into the Confederations Cup feeling quite adept with their ability to hold off the opposition. By the time Oscar and Neymar were finished, the major story was "what's wrong with Japan's back line?"
While it was expected that Oscar, a tantalizing talent who should make Chelsea's midfield a force for years to come, would do well in his first major FIFA event, few thought it would be this jarring. He went without a goal or assist against Mexico but showed the other ways with which he can be effective. In a midfield that consists of some of the finest players in the world, it's been Oscar's excellence that has been the most promising for Brazil's Confed Cup chances.
It will just be interesting to see whether he can keep it up. Though an extremely talented young player, Oscar is still the least proven among his contemporaries. Brazil know they can trust Paulinho, Neymar, Hulk and so on. Remember, outside of the Olympics, this is the first time Oscar has really faced major pressure to perform for his country.
With so many comparing him to the legendary Brazilian midfielder Kaka, let's see if he's going to have that same sense of the moment against Italy.
Gianluigi Buffon, Italy
This hasn't been the best international experience for Buffon to say the least. The 35-year-old legend, closing in on Fabio Cannavaro's record of 136 international caps, might start hearing some grumbles about his play if he doesn't start performing up to his expected level.
It's easy to say he performed well against Mexico, giving up only one goal. But El Tri's attack has been so hapless during this calendar year that allowing them to score almost is like giving up three goals; they've been that bad.
As for the Japan match, it's impossible to blame him for the Keisuke Honda penalty fiasco. It was apparent to anyone except the referees that Buffon did not commit a foul in the box, and yet Japan got awarded the kick anyway. We're in no place to count that score against him or Italy in any meaningful way.
That being said, it's certainly been an adventure for Italy's defense and goalkeeper during this Confederations Cup. Japan's attack relentlessly found its way through the Italian midfield—especially early in the match—and put Buffon in a position where he was forced to make far too many plays.
Brazil is not only as aggressive as Japan but also more talented. If Buffon struggled to stop strikes from guys like Shinji Okazaki, he'll have a tough time against Brazil's midfield if his form is the same. Odds are it won't be, though. Buffon is nothing if a man who basks in the big moments, and his career-long excellence at the Confederations Cup has helped Brazil taste glory in this event.
Maybe the stonewall isn't as tall as it used to be, but it's hard to bet against Buffon making life difficult for the Brazilians.
2013 FIFA Confederations Cup Standings
Group A
| 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
| Spain (2-0) | 12 | 1 | 6 |
| Nigeria (1-1) | 7 | 3 | 3 |
| Uruguay (1-1) | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Tahiti (0-2) | 1 | 16 | 0 |
Follow Tyler Conway on Twitter:
