2013 Confederations Cup: Spain Overturns Italy 7-6 in Penalty Shoot-Out

Spain burst Italy’s hopes of appearing in the 2013 Confederations Cup finals with an anticlimactic victory last June 27.

Neither team was able to score for 120 minutes, forcing a penalty shootout which Spain won 7-6. Jesus Navas’ spot-kick, combined with Leonardo Bonucci’s failure to score in the shoot-out, sealed the fate of Gli Azzurri.

Italy looked crippled without Mario Balotelli, with the likes of Christian Maggio, Daniele De Rossi, and Claudio Marchisio missing several opportunities to shoot in the first half. Fernando Torres flew past Andrea Barzagli to try and convert a point, only to be intercepted by Gianluigi Buffon.

At the start of the second half, La Roja regained control of the ball, but Buffon’s excellent goalkeeping skills ensured that the match would be at a stalemate. Also, Xavi’s goal in the last few seconds was blocked by De Rossi before Howard Webb blew the whistle, signaling the beginning of extra time.

Despite the increased pressure from Spain in the second half of extra time, La Roja was still as goalless as their opponents, necessitating the penalty shootout. Ironically, Buffon was unable to sustain his momentum in this round, letting Spain score 7 of 13 points made there.

Spain will face Brazil on June 30. 

Photo credit: Zimbio

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2013 Confederations Cup Match Preview: Brazil vs. Uruguay (Semi-Finals)

The verdict of the FIFA gods is out: Brazil and Uruguay will face off for the first semi-finals match of the 2013 Confederations Cup. (The second semi-finals match will take place on June 27, local time, between Spain and Italy.)

Of the four semi-finalists, Uruguay is the team most likely to land in fourth place. It can be argued that the only reason coach Oscar Tabarez’s team made it this far is their clobbering of Tahiti 8-0, which isn’t saying much considering the Oceanic team’s record. To their credit, they were able to keep the dominant Spaniards at 2-1 even though they lost, which means that Brazil would be wise not to let their guard down on June 26 (local time).  

As for Brazil, they pretty much have a sure spot in the finals. The way their players move the ball around the court is beautiful to watch. Also, as seen in their last match against Italy, they have a knack for neutralizing saves from the opposing team’s goalkeeper. And they have Neymar, who just scored in three straight Confederations Cup matches and is set to join FC Barcelona.

Whoever wins in the other semi-finals match will determine whether Brazil will have their third straight Confederations Cup. If Italy wins, Brazil can quickly dispatch Gli Azzurri without much trouble like they did last time. If Spain will be their opponent, the June 30 match in Rio De Janeiro will be the epic match to end all epic matches. 

Prediction: Brazil wins

Photo credit: Fotos Gov/Ba (Neymar) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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