Confederations Cup explodes into action in Brazil today

Under-pressure hosts face Japan in tricky opener.

BRASILIA: After months of angst over preparation delays, Brazil steps into the global spotlight today when it kicks off the Confederations Cup, a key test of its readiness to stage the World Cup next year.

Six Brazilian cities – Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza, Recife, Rio and Salvador – are hosting the two-week football tournament, expected to attract some 355,000 Brazilians and foreign tourists.

Brazil, winners of the previous edition in South Africa in 2009, have this year dropped to a new low of 22nd in the rankings of world football’s governing body Fifa.

The Selecao is given little chance of lifting the trophy this time around.

Today’s opening game in Brasilia’s Mane Garrincha pits the Brazilians, five-time World Cup winners, against Japan.

For the young Brazilian team coached by wizard Luiz Felipe Scolari and led by Barcelona-bound rising star Neymar, the tournament offers a chance to get experience and confidence for next year’s bigger prize.

The average age of the squad is 26 years and six months.

Neymar says the hosts will not take the Japanese, coached by hugely-experienced Italian Alberto Zaccheroni, lightly, given the hosts are now safe in the knowledge they have booked their World Cup berth and can also draw on the likes of Manchester United favourite Shinji Kagawa.

“Japan are a tricky proposition and not to be underestimated,” said Neymar. “Keisuke Honda and Kagawa are superb players and the team as a whole mark you very tightly.

‘We want to make a strong impression’

Japan say they won’t be caught napping as they were in Poland, but will need to keep an eye on in-form striker Fred, who has five goals in his last six internationals.

“Brazil have a very strong team and we need to make sure they don’t dole out a repeat of what they did in Poland,” said midfielder Yasuhito Endo.

“We will be out to make a much better impression this time with more at stake.”

The tournament is the first major event hosted by Brazil since the 1989 Confederations Cup and the logistical challenge has been a tough one, raising concerns about whether the country can produce 12 top notch venues for the World Cup.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 15^th, 2013.