2009 Confederations Cup Thread [Schedule, News, Results, Discussion]

[Arian]

Group A

Spain
South Africa
Iraq
New Zealand
14/06 16:00 Johannesburg South Africa - Iraq
14/06 20:30 Rustenburg New Zealand - Spain
17/06 16:00 Mangaung Spain - Iraq
17/06 20:30 Rustenburg South Africa - New Zealand
20/06 20:30 Johannesburg Iraq - New Zealand
20/06 20:30 Mangaung Spain - South Africa

Group B

USA
Italy
Brazil
Egypt
15/06 16:00 Mangaung Brazil - Egypt
15/06 20:30 Tshwane USA - Italy
18/06 16:00 Tshwane USA - Brazil
18/06 20:30 Johannesburg Egypt - Italy
21/06 20:30 Tshwane Italy - Brazil
21/06 20:30 Rustenburg Egypt - USA

Semi-finals
(13) 24/06 20:30 Mangaung 1A - 2B
(14) 25/06 20:30 Johannesburg 1B - 2A

Match for third place
(15) 28/06 15:00 Rustenburg L13 - L14

Final
(16) 28/06 20:30 Johannesburg W13 - W14

Time Conversion Chart
Local Time 15:00/16:00/20:30
Toronto/NewYork 09:00/10:00/14:30
L.A/Vancouver 06:00/07:00/11:30
London 14:00/15:00/19:30
Tehran 17:30/18:30/23:00

[Arian]

Bookmakers Tip Spain Star Fernando Torres To Be Top Scorer In Confederations Cup

'El Nino' is being considered the top striker in the tournament by the bookmakers...

Many consider Euro 2008 champions Spain the favourites for the Confederations Cup and the bookmakers have also predicted the top scorer will come from La Furia Roja.

According to Italian newspaper Tuttosport, Fernando Torres is the favourite to win the scoring race in South Africa, with the bookmakers offering 1.61 to 1 for the odds on the Liverpool ace.

His partner up front, David Villa is next with 2.20 to 1 odds. Meanwhile, Italy hitman Luca Toni and Real Madrid' new Brazilian signing Kaka will payout the same rate on any bets should they bang in the most goals.

Alberto Gilardino is also highly considered with 3 to 1 odds, the Fiorentina striker scored a recent brace for the Azzurri in their 4-3 friendly win over New Zealand.

The tournament begins on June 14 with host nation South Africa playing Iraq and New Zealand facing off against Spain later in the day. Meanwhile, Italy and Brazil will square off against Egypt and the United States respectively the following day.

Adam Scime, Goal.com

[Arian]

guys post predictions in this format (my predictions below)

Winners: Spain
Runners-Up: Brazil
Top Scorer: Fernando Torres
Player of the Tournament: Xavi Hernandez
Most Attractive Team: Spain
Most Boring Team: New Zealand

[EKBATAN]

god i hope luca toni doesn't play

[persiangodfather]

i cant believe toni is playing instead of foggia and i cantbelieve dagostini wasnt invited lippi is going crazy


Winner: italia
runner up: spain
top scorer; Giuseppe rossi
most boring team: new zealand

[elnino99]

Winners: Spain
Runners-Up: Brazil
Semis: Italy, NewZealand
Top Scorer: David Villa
Player of the Tournament: Xavi Hernandez
Most Attractive Team: Spain
Most Boring Team: South Africa

[Farhad-7]

Winners: Brazil
Runners-Up: Spain
Semis: South Africa, Italy
Top Scorer: David Villa
Player of the Tournament: Kaka
Most Attractive Team: Brazil
Most Boring Team: Iraq

[teammelli34]

Winner-Spain
Runnerup-Brazil
Player of tourny-Xavi
Scorer-Torres
Boring team-Iraq

[EKBATAN]

i cant believe toni is playing instead of foggia and i cantbelieve dagostini wasnt invited lippi is going crazy

yea Foggia is the shit! If Lippi wants to win he'll play Iaquinta instead...same height and he's a much better finisher now than Toni....Toni is good at attracting defenders but most of the balls that go to him get wasted....

Rossi-Iaquinta up top is a killer combo

[Pharaoh]

Not sure where to post this so I'll just do it here. Was at Armani Exchange at Tysons Corner mall here in the DC area last night buying something when I noticed the manger wearing this Puma Egypt African Champions t-shirt the players got when Egypt won the African Cup. It was being sold in the Puma store in the same mall a few months after Egypt won the cup last year. Anyway, the guy didn't look Egyptian, so I was about to ask him until one of his co-workers called him "Ricky" and started speaking Spanish to him.

Thought it was pretty cool (and rare) seeing a non Middle-Easterner wearing an Egypt shirt ... made my day.

Sadly, the way things are going... this may be the highlight of my year when it comes to Egyptian football.

[Darvish11]

Winners: Spain
Runners-Up: Brazil
Top Scorer: Villa
Player of the Tournament: Villa
Most Attractive Team: Spain
Most Boring Team: S. Africa

[abtin_32]

yea Foggia is the shit! If Lippi wants to win he'll play Iaquinta instead...same height and he's a much better finisher now than Toni....Toni is good at attracting defenders but most of the balls that go to him get wasted....
Rossi-Iaquinta up top is a killer combo

Foggia is okay, but doesn't deserve a starting spot at the moment with so many good in-form italian players. Rossi definitely does though, although from what the latest news I have heard from the camps, the first team is mostly comprised of Zambrotta-Cannavaro-Chiellini-Grosso, Gattuso-Pirlo-De Rossi, Camoranesi-Gila_Iaquinta.

I would definitely start Rossi if I were Lippi.

And PersianGodFather, wait till next year after D'agostino has shined at JUVE. We'll be hearing a lot more about him...

[Darvish11]

italy needs giovinco

[tashakor]

Iraq vs. South Africa starting right now.

[IranSoccer#8]

go iraq!! emad reza is about to hold it down.