International Friendly – Brazil v Russia – Stamford Bridge
The opening match of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup sees hosts Brazil play Asian Cup winners Japan on Saturday. The intriguing aspect of this match sees the host nation of the World Cup match-up against the first nation to officially qualify for the tournament next year, having earned the point they needed in a 1-1 draw against Australia last week.
This is an important match for Brazil in more ways than one, not only is it a tournament that will test the infrastructure of tournament organisers but is also the first real chance for coach Luiz Felipe Scolari and his squad to play in a “meaningful” match beyond the slew of exhibition games.
Brazil is the most successful nation in Confederations Cup history, having won the tournament three times since its inception in 1992. The Selecao have undergone an overhaul since Luiz Felipe Scolari replaced Mano Menezes as national coach in November last year. Gone are former FIFA World Player of the Year winners Ronaldinho and Kaka as Scolari puts his faith in youth. While the spotlight will shine ever so brightly on Barcelona`s new 57 million-euro striker Neymar, Scolari`s side has impressive depth all over the pitch. Chelsea midfielder Oscar was arguably the team`s best player in their 2-2 draw with England two weeks back and Sunday`s 3-0 victory over France.
He will be deployed either on the right of a three-man attacking midfield or in a free-roaming playmaker role, where he was used against France to devastating effect. Led by captain Thiago Silva, Brazil`s defence promises to be disciplined and organized, as is Scolari`s hallmark. It also boasts the combined attacking threats of Dani Alves, Marcelo and David Luiz. It was Oscar as well as Hernanes and Lucas who scored second-half goals on Sunday as Brazil defeated France 3-0 in its final warm-up match before the Confederations Cup. Chelsea playmaker Oscar opened the scoring with a shot from close range in the 54th minute.
Lazio’s Hernanes added to the lead with a left-footed attempt from inside the area in the 85th, and Paris Saint-Germain’s Lucas sealed the victory by converting a penalty kick in injury time. The result ended Brazil’s 21-year winless run against France, and gave the “Selecao” its first victory over a former World Cup champion in nearly four years.
Last week Japan became the first team to qualify for next year`s World Cup in Brazil when Keisuke Honda`s injury-time spot-kick earned them a 1-1 draw against Australia. The Blue Samurai’s are ranked 32nd in the FIFA rankings and will come into this tournament on a high sitting atop their World Cup qualifying group. Coach Alberto Zaccheroni has created a strong attacking side and has implemented all his expertise from 27 years managing in Italy, in which he took charge of Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus. It paid off brilliantly in 2011 when the Japanese were victorious in the Asian Cup. Zaccheroni`s team play a quick, intricate passing game in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Manchester United`s Shinji Kagawa usually operating on the left side of midfield. Other players to watch are Inter Milan`s Yuto Nagatomo, who poses an attacking threat with his probing runs from left-back, and CSKA Moscow`s Honda, the heartbeat of the team in the No.10 role. Honda has been Japan’s leading scorer in the qualifiers with five goals and will be a real thorn in the Brazil defence. The Blue Samurai’s have qualified for the past five World Cups and in their last Confederations Cup appearance, at the 2005 tournament in Germany, they failed to progress beyond the group stage despite defeating Greece 1-0 and drawing 2-2 with eventual champions Brazil.
October last year was these teams’ last meeting with Brazil whipping Japan 4-0 in a friendly. The meeting prior to that was at the 2006 Germany World Cup which also ended with Brazil scoring four goals in a 4-1 win. The Samba Boys are tipped to continue on those dominant displays and their 3-0 thumping of France with a victory in their opening game.
