It’s a match made in heaven: the defending champions versus the 2010 FIFA
World Cup and 2012 UEFA EURO Cup holders.
This may come as a surprise, but Spain seems at a disadvantage in the
finals. La Roja barely escaped the
clutches of Italy in the semifinals when the latter forced them into a penalty
shoot-out. If it wasn’t for Leonardo Bonucci’s mistake, Gli Azzurri might’ve taken the victory.
Also, Brazil’s playing style could pose a problem for the Spaniards.
Neymar and Co. are known for their creative yet fast-paced play, which makes up
for the fact that they have a slighter build than the Europeans. The Canarinho will likely not allow the game
to extend to a drama of penalties like Italy did.
Another point against La Roja
is the gap in preparation time between them and the Brazilians. According to
the FIFA
website, midfielder Juan Mata admitted that playing twice a week for one
year has “physically diminished” them, while Iker Casillas said that the match
against Gli Azzurri was a wake-up
call.
Should Brazil win the Maracana match on June 30, it will be their third
straight Confederations Cup. As for Spain, they’ll improve upon their third
place finish in the 2009 competition no matter what happens.
Photo credit: Zimbio
0 comments:
Post a Comment