CBC-Sports

Gearing up for two weeks of soccer madness

June 12, 2009 11:17 AM | Posted by   John Molinaro  

I'll be the first one to admit it: I've never had much time for the Confederations Cup.

I've always viewed the tournament, which features the reigning world and continental champions, as nothing more than a cash grab by FIFA and a tune up for the World Cup.

But this year's tournament, set to kick off Sunday in South Africa, intrigues me and actually has me excited about the prospect of watching soccer in June - no small feat, considering I'm usually soccer exhausted after watching games non-stop over the previous eight months.

One of the reasons for my excitement is the fact that unlike in past Confederations Cups when coaches have fielded their 'B' teams, the likes of Spain, Italy and Brazil are fielding full-strength sides.

To think that the likes of Fernando Torres and Xavi Hernandez, Kaka and Robinho, and Andrea Pirlo and Gianluigi Buffon will all be competing at the Confederations Cup should send any soccer fan's heart racing.

In particular, I'm looking forward to seeing Spain, the reigning European champions and the best team on the planet.

I'll take any excuse to see the Spanish, because, quite simply, their free-flowing, attacking brand of soccer is something to behold and for my money they are damn entertaining to watch.

The prospect of finding out more about New Zealand, Iraq and South Africa also has me excited. As an avid fan of the beautiful game, no matter who is playing it, I'm looking forward to watching teams that I normally don't get to see perform.

Can South Africa really win without Benni McCarthy? How good are the Iraqis, who defied the odds by winning the 2007 Asian Cup? And is New Zealand striker Shane Smeltz as good as everyone says he is?

I haven't a clue, but the Confederations Cup will answer these questions for me.

There are plenty of other reasons to be optimistic that the games will be entertaining and competitive, not the least of which is because Brazil and Italy will play in the same group.

These two soccer giants have played some memorable games in the past, including two World Cup finals: in 1970 when Brazil thrashed the Italians 4-1 in Mexico, and in 1994 when the Selecao won in a penalty shootout in Los Angeles.

But their best match, in fact one of the greatest games in the history of the sport, came at the 1982 World Cup in Spain when Italy won 3-2 in the quarter-finals.

Legendary BBC play-by-play announcer John Motson called this the greatest match he's ever commented on. It had drama, fantastic goals, great saves and one hero: the indomitable Paolo Rossi who led the Italians to victory over a Brazil side the critics hailed as even better than the 1970 World Cup winning team.

No matter what the scenario is - it could be an international friendly or a Sunday kick-about in the park - Italy and Brazil always bring out the best in each other and always play as if their lives depend on it when they square off against one another.

So, curb your scepticism (if I can do it, you can to), and gear up for what should be two weeks of soccer madness.

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