Heading into the 2013 Confederations Cup, the Spanish national team has every reason to believe they'll be the ones hosting the trophy following the Cup Championship match on June 30th. If they're able to duplicate the level of play that helped them bring home the 2012 Euro Cup and 2010 World Cup, Spain should have no problem advancing through the upcoming tournament.
Uruguay on the other hand could use a strong run through the CONFED Cup since they're currently in the midst of a lackluster World Cup qualifying slate. With only 16 points in 12 matches played, Uruguay trails South American group leader Argentina by 10 points. If the standings remain the same at the end of qualifying, Uruguay will match up with the Round 5 winner of the Asia group in a two-leg playoff series this November. For now, the Uruguayan nationals will turn their attention to Brazil's Confederations Cup.
When and Where to Watch Spain Vs. Uruguay
Playing their first matches in the CONFED Cup group stage, Spain and Uruguay will meet on Sunday, June 16th at 5:45pm, EDT. Television coverage will be available through the ESPN network, with a pre-match show starting at 5:00pm, EDT.
For those choosing to watch the game on-line, a live stream will be offered by ESPN3.com at 5:45pm.
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Team Preview - Spain
The defending World Cup champions, Spain will use this tournament as a test to see where they are as a team heading into the 2014 World Cup. With tremendous talent up and down the roster, the Spanish nationals have the ability to score in bunches while keeping their opponents off the board, traits that will certainly aid them moving forward. Without a competitive team defeat since losing in the CONFED semifinals to the United States in 2009, Spain is poised to continue their current 22-match winning streak.
Pedro leads the team in WC goals with 4 tallies through qualifying play and along with superstars Juan Mata, David Villa, Cesc Fabregas and Andres Iniesta, the Spaniards may boast the most talented squad. 32-year-old goalkeeper Iker Casillas has been a mainstay between the pipes for the nationals since 2000, providing added support throughout each and every match.
Making over 140 international appearances, Casillas continues to perform at a high level. His play in net along with strong offense certainly solidifies Spain as the team to beat moving forward. Spain will play this match without Xabi Alonso who is still battling a groin injury.
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Team Preview - Uruguay
As they continue to hold onto the final playoff spot in the South America World Cup qualifying group, Uruguay hopes to build off some recent success they've had as a team. Defeating France 1-0 in a friendly, the Uruguayans also upended Venezuela in a qualifying match so the confidence level is on the rise as they head into their CONFED match against Spain. The trio of Diego Godin, Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani create one of the best units in the game with Godin providing shutdown defense while Suarez and Cavani score on a regular basis. In 10 WC matches this qualifying term, Suarez has found the back of the net 8 times while Cavani adds another 3.
The ability for Uruguay to perform well against Spain is surely there and if the aforementioned trio is able to keep their strong play going, expect this team to compete long after their match with the defending World Cup champions is complete.
Wrap-Up
The first match of the Confederation Cup's Group B begins Sunday, June 16th at 5:45pm, EDT. Television coverage will be provided by the ESPN network while an on-line live stream can be found by visiting ESPN3.com.
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