adminSpain’s 3-0 win against Nigeria left them top of Group B with a maximum nine points to face Group A runners-up Italy in Fortaleza on Thursday. Uruguay hammered Tahiti 8-0 to finish second behind Spain, putting the 2011 Copa America champions up against Brazil in Belo Horizonte tomorrow.
Five-time world champions Brazil topped Group A with maximum points after defeating Italy 4-2 in Salvador on Saturday.
Tomorrow’s all-South American duel will recall Brazil’s bitter defeat to Uruguay at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana in the final deciding game of the 1950 World Cup.
Brazil needed a point to be world champions and were clear favourites, but Uruguay came from behind to stun the home side 2-1 in a game before a record crowd of almost 200 000 known as the Maracanazo, or “the Maracana blow.”
Brazil will also be favourites against a Uruguay side coached by Oscar Tabarez, which has been struggling in World Cup qualifiers and began the Confederations Cup with a 2-1 defeat to Spain before beating Nigeria 2-1.
However, Brazil coach Felipe Luiz Scolari says his observer has studied Uruguay closely and believes they are the “most complete team” in the tournament.
“Uruguay are coming to the boil. They have been put together well by Tabarez and have a style which is tough to play against,” Scolari said.
Tabarez already had one eye on Brazil when preparing for minnows Tahiti, who leave the tournament after conceding 24 goals in three games following their 10-0 and 6-1 defeats to Spain and Nigeria respectively.
“We rested a few players because if they’d played today it would have been trickier for them to recover in time (for the semifinals),” Tabarez said.
“We took a risk in that regard, but things turned out very well. We’ve now got two more opportunities to give a good impression of our national team and, even though we’re aware of Brazil’s ability, we’ll be aiming for a positive result.”
Italy need no reminder that they have a difficult task against Spain, who beat them 4-0 in the Euro 2012 final in Kiev a year ago.
Italy coach Cesare Prandelli cited fatigue as a reason for the heavy defeat after the Azzurri had done much better in a 1-1 draw with Spain in their opening game of the tournament.
This time they will have had a day longer to recover, and should have Andrea Pirlo back after injury in midfield along with the suspended Daniele de Rossi. However, striker Mario Balotelli will miss the game because of a hamstring injury, team doctor Enrico Castellacci said following a scan on the player’s left thigh.
The prospect of playing Spain had already been on the Italian players’ minds before Sunday’s outcome.
“How do you stop Spain? Knowing that would be something good,” keeper Gianluigi Buffon said.
But Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said Italy would be a tough challenge for his side.
“They will be very difficult opponents. These are two great teams in Europe and the world. It’s going to be a revenge match for them, but we want to keep going until the 30th (the final)”, he said. While the winners go to Rio for the final on Sunday (12midnight), the losing teams will face off in Salvador the same day (6pm) in the game for third place. — AFP.
Online Reporter