As the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup continues, only four teams remain in the quest to become tournament champions. Mexico, Japan, Tahiti and Nigeria have all been eliminated leaving only Italy, Spain, Uruguay and host nation Brazil as the semifinalists. With Brazil taking on Uruguay in the first semifinal, Italy and Spain are set to meet in a match that could be a prerequisite to a contest we may very well see at the 2014 World Cup.
When and Where to Watch Semifinal Match
With a trip to the CONFED Cup championship match on the line, Spain and Italy will meet on Thursday, June 27 at 3:00pm, EST. Television coverage will be provided by the ESPN Network while an on-line live stream will be available by visiting WatchESPN. Pregame coverage on both outlets begins at 2:30pm, EST.
Semifinal Team Preview - Spain
The defending World Cup champions and 2012 Euro Cup winners are playing phenomenal soccer heading into the tournament semifinal. Defeating Nigeria to start the tournament, the Spanish nationals received an early boost from Jordi Alba. Scoring in the third minute of the match, Spain was on their way to a convincing victory over a very talented Nigerian squad. Following a Fernando Torres in the 62nd-minute, Alba would score once more 26 minutes later to help close out the win 3-0.
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Imposing their will the next time out against a Tahiti team that has only one professional player on its roster, Spain looked unstoppable for 90-plus minutes. Fernando Torres scored an additional 4 goals at the 5', 33', 57' and 78-minute marks as the Spaniards constantly toyed with their opponents. Thanks to added scoring from David Silva (31', 89'), David Villa (39', 49', 64') and Juan Mata (66'), Spain cruised to a 10-0 victory, setting up a match with Luis Suarez and Uruguay.
Jumping out to another early start with a Pedro goal at the 20-minute mark, the Spanish nationals provided their defense the ability to play close, physical defense against a Uruguay team that has battled its fair share of offensive struggles in recent matches. Padding their lead with a Roberto Soldado goal at the 32-minute mark, La Roja never looked back, only surrendering a late goal to Luis Suarez in the 88th-minute.
Onto the semifinals after three impressive victories, Spain now prepares to battle an Italian team they defeated in the 2012 European final. If they're able to keep their offensive play at a high level with help from a strong forward line that includes Cesc Fabregas, Fernando Torres and Roberto Soldado, Spain could very well dispose of Italy once again.
Team Preview - Italy
Looking to strike revenge against the team that upended them in the 2012 Euro title match, Italy will have to find ways to put tallies up on the board since their most prominent goal-scorer won't be available come Thursday afternoon. Mario Balotelli, a 21-year-old superstar who scored 2 goals in each of Italy's two victories over Mexico and Japan, was sent home due to a strained thigh.
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It will certainly be tough for Italy to find goal-scoring without Balotelli on the field but with significant talent up and down the roster, Italy may be able to use this game to discover who some of their additional scoring talents are heading into next summer's Brazil games. Alberto Prandelli may be one option coach Cesare Prandelli elects to favor since he's played well in 3 matches during the Confederations Cup, helping Italy to a 2-1 record and a berth in the semifinals.
Veteran Andrea Pirlo is another player capable of filling in some of the void left in Balotelli's absence while Daniele De Rossi and Stephan El Shaarway will also be looked upon for added support. Regardless of who steps up for the 2006 World Cup champions, Italy knows they'll also need a better effort on defense if they're to slow a Spanish team that's averaging 5 goals per game this tournament.
"We've got to start conceding fewer goals," Italy keeper Gianluigi Buffon told FIFA reporters. "A team of our talent and skill level shouldn't be making defensive errors like these."
Italy may have their fair share of worries on the offensive end but if they're not able to keep Spain off the board on a consistent basis, Thursday's semifinal could turn out to be the longest 90 minutes of soccer the Italian nationals have played since falling 4-0 to Spain in the aforementioned European championship back in 2012.
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Wrap Up
In a match that should be closer than most think, Italy and Spain are all set to play their semifinal contest in the 2013 Confederations Cup on Thursday, June 27. Scheduled to start at 3:00pm, EST, the game can be seen on the ESPN television network with an on-line live stream also available through WatchESPN. Pregame coverage begins at 2:30pm, EST on both outlets.
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