Can Underdogs Surprise In Confederations Cup
There are only four more matches to go before the Confederations Cup draws to a close in South Africa on Sunday. After a hectic week of group stage football, the four semi finalists have been decided. Spain, the USA, South Africa and Brazil will be the teams trying to reach the final this weekend.
There is nothing left for the host country now except to reach for the sky and dream the impossible. Fans will be praying for South Africa to continue doing well. That would mean getting to the final although they would be satisfied with their performances so far.
What prevents them from getting ahead of themselves is the team that stands in their way of the final. Brazil will be the biggest obstacle for the South Africans in recent memory. And what an obstacle they will be after destroying every team they faced in Group B.
No one will dare to wager that South Africa has a chance against Brazil. The latter team are on a roll and results have turned in their favour for a couple of months now. Dunga has started to see results from his work with the players and every individual appears to be committed without any hint of disharmony.
The weakest team in the last four will have to be the United States. If not for a miraculous result against Egypt, the Americans would already have been on the next flight home. Instead, they have been rewarded with a match-up against the European champions Spain.
They might need gratitious amounts of luck again when they meet Spain in their semi final. The Spanish have had similar results to their Brazilian counterparts but could not reach the heady heights of their impressive first victory against New Zealand. They do have incredible tactical awareness and style so it would be unthinkable for them to lose to the Americans.
It could be set in stone that the two eventual finalists would be Spain and Brazil. On a different planet altogether in terms of skill and ability, their meeting would also have consequences on several historic records, one of which could be Spain achieving the longest unbeaten run in international football.
If that final were to be realised, it would be the best present for any football fan this year. They can always look forward to some of the best football on display when these two meet. If they set aside their inhibitions and put on an advertisement for the sport, it could only lead to more success in the coming years.
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