CONCACAF’s regional championship is just two and half weeks away and two teams are the clear favorites to take the Gold Cup and a coveted spot in the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil. Those two teams: the United States and Mexico.

These two teams are the deepest and most talented squads in the North and Central American region, but which is the favorite? Heading into the tournament – which starts in Dallas, TX June 5^th – a poll would likely come out split. With that being the case, let’s take a look at each team.

Current Champions

Mexico took the last Gold Cup in an emphatic 5-0 win over the United States in 2009. Mexico fielded its top team in the first tournament that then head coach Javier Aguirre headed up. The team was led by Carlos Vela, Miguel Sabah (Golden Boot winner with four goals) and Giovanni Dos Santos (named tournament MVP) who caused havoc throughout the tournament, although only Dos Santos will return in 2011 to help lead El Tri.

Strengths: The clear strength of the team is the forward line of Giovanni Dos Santos (Racing Santander) and Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez (Manchester United). The Red Devil starlet could be the best player in the tournament and his ability to duplicate his emergence on the club level for El Tri could be the difference for El Tri in this summer’s classic.

Weaknesses: As the team is stocked up top, the questions arise as you get closer to the team’s own goal. Goalkeeper has been an up and down position for El Tri with one-time goalkeeper of the future Guillermo Ochoa (Club America) struggling to find his form since before last year’s World Cup. The defense is more of a possession builder than a physical stopper type of group and is susceptible to being beat by stronger teams.

Overview: The presence of Dos Santos and Hernandez has many people predicting a repeat for El Tri. Service from a midfield led by Andres Guardado (Deportivo La Coruna) should be good and if the team can hold possession they will be successful in repeating as champions.

Yanks are looking for Another Trip to Confederations Cup

The 2009 loss aside, the Americans have done well in CONCACAF the past five years. Last Gold Cup’s roster was filled with hopefuls and younger players, due to the team participating in the Confederations Cup after winning the 2007 event. Sure to field a full strength roster the Yanks are looking to book another spot in the next Confederations Cup, a tournament Bob Bradley is very high on.

Strength: Boasting the best collection of talent in both goal and midfield, Bob Bradley should feel good about his squad. Hernandez gets the headlines in CONCACAF but Everton ‘keeper Tim Howard is likely the best and most accomplished player in the region. The Toffees’ stalwart has been clutch for the Yanks – most notably against Argentina and Spain in recent years – and is a big reason the team is considered one of, if not the favorite this summer.

Bradley also enjoys the best collection of midfield talent, led by LA Galaxy and 2010 World Cup star Landon Donovan (who’s linked to a summer move to Italian side Roma) and Fulham’s leading scorer Clint Dempsey. The wingers provide service and dangerous runs in front of the talented central midfield trio of Jermaine Jones (Blackburn), Michael Bradley (Aston Villa) and Maurice Edu (Rangers).

Weakness: For all the depth in midfield, the Yanks are searching for answers on the backline and at forward. Age is catching up to Bradley’s group on the backline as stalwarts Carlos Bocanegra (St. Etienne) and Steve Cherundolo (Hanover ’96) are in their mid-30s and the team is looking for the next group to come through. The prime candidates are Tim Chandler (Nurnberg) and Eric Lichaj (Leeds United) but the depth in the back is unproven at best.

While their neighbors to the south seem set at forward for the next 10 years, the Yanks are still searching for their answers. Jozy Altidore (Bursaspor) is a young player with tons of experience but he’s yet to put together a truly dominant run of form at the club or international level. After Altidore there are a number of unknowns. 19 year old Juan Agudelo (Red Bull New York) has two goals in his brief national team career but will be in his first major tournament. Teal Bunbury – a Canadian convert – of Sporting KC is still not a lock for the squad and Charlie Davies (DC United) is just 10 games and six goals into his comeback season.

Overview: Top to bottom the Yanks are the best team in the region on paper, in my opinion, but will be carried by their goalkeeping and midfield play. If the team can find a scoring option at forward the Yanks should be well on their way to a return trip to the Confederations Cup.

Looking at the two favorites there’s a lot to like about both, but neither is without their concerns. Still, each team should make their expected run to the finale – to be played June 25^th at the Rose Bowl – for what should be another in a long line of exciting matches between the regional powers.

Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo  for MLSsoccer.com and is a contributor to Soccerlens.com. Follow him on twitter at @Dynamoexaminer.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

From a far off view, the MLS comes off as a far inferior league.  A league that is not worthy to talk about if David Beckham is not involved.  The attendance is modest, and the salary cap limits the quality of play.  

These are just realities that the league and its fans deal with.  Although the execs like to aim high and suggest the ‘soccer’ is becoming the fourth (hockey has the same level of support as ‘soccer’) major American sport, that day is still not here.  The path ‘soccer’ in America must take to get to that day is clear, and it lies directly upon the Latino population.

This past Sunday, I attended the CONCACAF Gold Cup Final, the North and Central American equivalent of the European Championship’s Final.  The match was being contested by the USA and Mexico at the Meadowlands, a sports complex just outside of New York City.  The game was a sell out, and the most well attended ‘soccer’ match in the history of the stadium with 79,000 plus cramming in.  The crowd was 20% Pro-US, and 80% Pro-Mexico.  A light went off.  If there are 80,000 fans who care to see USA-Mexico despite the fact that the USA had a C-Squad, and Mexico had a B-Squad; why can’t some of them come out to the local team’s games, Red Bull New York?

The atmosphere was top class.  Once the Mexicans scored fifteen minutes into the second half, the crowd went wild.  The Mexican Wave went around the stadium, beer went flying, and the Mexican Flags were out.  Why can’t this pride for country become pride for one’s local club team?  If MLS teams market more aggressively to Latino populations, they can improve their attendances, improve their bottom lines, and will be able to put more into the product on the field.

While an increase in Latino fans will make the league more successful in many facets, the Latino population is also the key to improving the quality of play directly.  The US team that I saw had no latino names on it.  It was a squad of names such as Goodson and Holden, not of names such as Martinez and Rodriguez.  Now I’m not saying the team has to be all Latino, but a mix would better represent the demographics of America. The latino population is 44 million strong, and growing rapidly.  Despite their status as the biggest minority group in the USA, they still have yet to produce many strong footballers that are capable of representing the US Men’s National Team.  Recent signs are encouraging though.  Jose Francisco Torres is the first true Latino since Claudio Reyna to make the US National Team, featuring in a couple of World Cup Qualifiers, and making the Confederations Cup squad.  There are other hopeful signs as well.  Edgar Castillo, a promising left back who slipped through the youth systems in America wound up being a star in Mexico.  After representing Mexico in three friendlies, he has decided to switch his allegiances to the USA.  These are encouraging signs, but the Latino population, being soccer obsessed has the potential to produce many talented players for both MLS and the USMNT.

The path is clear.  Engage the Latino community to support MLS and MLS will benefit.  Have the Latino community produce players that can help MLS and the USMNT and both will benefit.  That’s how ‘soccer’ will gain a larger foothold in the US.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The USA defeated European champions Spain 2-0 to proceed to the 2009 Confederations Cup final. Goals from Altidore and Dempsey gave the Americans the ‘shock’ win, while at the back a solid performance by DeMerit and Onyewu ensured that Spain didn’t get much of a chance to get something out of this game.

Spain 0-2 USA – Goals

Spain 0-1 USA – Altidore
Spain 0-2 USA – Dempsey

Spain v USA – Highlights

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Watch the Brazil v South Africa semifinal live online – right here.

Spain v USA (1st Semifinal)
Date: Wednesday 24th June 2009
Venue: Bloemfontein
Kickoff: 19:30 GMT

Brazil

On paper alone Brazil should win this – such is the gulf in class when talent between the two sides is compared. However if you add Brazil’s impressive ability to dominate games tactically, then it seems that regardless of the fight that South Africa will put up, Brazil should be able to score that winning goal that they’d need to get to the final.

The equation for Thursday night is simple – if Brazil score, they’ll win – South Africa will be hard pressed to contain the South American champions and this game should be decided in the first half.

Whether Brazil – if they beat South Africa on Thursday – will be able to score against Spain or not is another story.

South Africa

The Confederations Cup offers valuable match practice for the 2010 World Cup hosts who, surprisingly, failed to qualify for the 2010 African Nations Cup, leaving them with little competitive action in the build up to next year’s main event.

South Africa sneaked into the semifinals thanks to a win against New Zealand and Iraq’s inability to beat the Oceania representatives. They battled valiantly against Spain but were ultimately toothless, and their inexperienced defence will struggle against the set piece prowess of the Brazilian side.

Watch the Brazil v South Africa semifinal live online.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Watch the Spain v USA semifinal live online – right here.

Spain v USA (1st Semifinal)
Date: Wednesday 24th June 2009
Venue: Bloemfontein
Kickoff: 19:30 GMT

The Spanish juggernaut faces surprise package USA in the first semifinal on Wednesday night. Spain have had an easy ride so far in the tournament and will be vary of slipping up against a motivated (and lucky) United States side. Can the USA ride their luck and make it to the final, or will we see Spain reach their second final in two years in style?

Spain

Spain got through a surprisingly easy group, defeating South Africa, New Zealand and Iraq without conceding a goal or getting out of second gear.

The USA will offer a slightly tougher test than Iraq or South Africa, but this well-oiled machine have only themselves to worry about – if they can control the game as they are masters at doing, this should be just another step to their second international title in two years.

USA

When the USA lost 3-0 to Brazil in the first second game of the Confederations Cup, fans and critics alike turned on the team. Bradley lacked tactical sense, the players lacked motivation and with Egypt putting in a strong showing against Italy, there was a significant chance of the USA being embarrassed on the international stage.

They didn’t buckle. The defeat against Brazil was followed by a 3-0 win against Egypt, and coupled with Brazil steamrolling Italy 3-0, the USA were the unlikely runners-up in Group B and in the semifinal.

In Spain they’ll be facing a team in better form than Brazil, possessing more talent than Italy and with more pride at stake than Egypt. Getting to the semis was the minimum expectation (never mind the tough group) but now that they’re here, a win will be dreamed about and expected, at least until reality sets in during the first half.

Watch the Spain v USA semifinal live online.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The USA under-performed or were outclassed (depending on your point of view) by Brazil in today’s Confederations Cup clash, with Brazil putting 3 goals past the Americans.

USA v Brazil – Goals

USA 0-1 Brazil (Melo)
USA 0-2 Brazil (Robinho)
USA 0-3 Brazil (Maicon)

Bonus read: 7 reasons why Americans suck at soccer.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

USA scored the first goal but at 10 men down and playing against the World Champions was never going to be an easy task, and Italy duly equalised and then went clear thanks to a Giuseppe Rossi double and a long-range effort from Daniele De Rossi.

USA 1-3 Italy – Goals:

USA 1-0 Italy (Donovan)
USA 1-1 Italy (Rossi)
USA 1-2 Italy (De Rossi)
USA 1-3 Italy (Rossi)

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Brazil raced ahead to a 3-1 lead in their 2009 Confederations Cup group game against Egypt before the African champions fought back to level the game 3-3 with two goals in two minutes early in the second half.

With the game in its closing stages, Mohamady received a red card in the 89th minute and Kaka scored a penalty to make it 4-3 and win the game for Brazil.

Brazil 3-3 Egypt – Goals

Brazil 1-0 Egypt (Kaka, 5)
Brazil 1-1 Egypt (Zidan, 9)
Brazil 2-1 Egypt (Fabiano, 17)
Brazil 3-1 Egypt (Juan, 37)
Brazil 3-2 Egypt (Shawky, 54)
Brazil 3-3 Egypt (Zidan, 55)
Brazil 4-3 Egypt (Kaka, 90′)

Back to the main 2009 Confederations Cup page.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Spain put 5 goals past New Zealand in a distinctly one-sided Confederations Cup group match last night. With South Africa and Iraq ‘battling’ to a bore draw, it way well be how well those two teams fare against New Zealand that decides who joins Spain in the semi-finals.

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres settled the match with a hattrick before Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas and Real Madrid-bound David Villa scored a goal each to finish the match off in style.

Spain 1-0 New Zealand – Torres
Spain 2-0 New Zealand – Torres
Spain 3-0 New Zealand – Torres
Spain 4-0 New Zealand – Fabregas
Spain 5-0 New Zealand – Villa

Back to the main 2009 Confederations Cup page.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Watch the 2009 Confederations Cup live here.

The 2010 World Cup promises to be the biggest World Cup ever in terms of Internet coverage – live or otherwise. It may not surpass the novelty of 2002 or the gaiety of 2006 and given that it will be winter in South Africa, it may not be the best event to go see world cup babes, but it will be something special.

The Confederations Cup, on the other hand, will be something of an anti-climax. Like all low-value cup competitions (think Carling Cup or the Club World Cup), there’s a tendency to take South Africa 2009 lightly, almost like a set of friendly matches.

The good thing is that every single team going to this year’s edition of the Confederations Cup has quite a lot to prove, a point to make, which should make for a spirited, if albeit inconsequential, 2 weeks of football.

Here’s a look at the different stadiums the matches will be played in, predictions for the Cup and links to fixtures, squads and how to watch the Cup live (online or on TV):

2009 Confederations Cup Venues

Four cities will serve as the venues of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup:

Johannesburg:
Coca-Cola Park (Ellis Park Stadium), 62,567

Pretoria (Tshwane)
Loftus Versfeld Stadium, 50,000

Bloemfontein (Mangaung)
Vodacom Park (Free State Stadium), 48,000

Rustenburg
Royal Bafokeng Stadium, 42,000

Originally, Port Elizabeth’s Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was also chosen as a venue. However, on 8 July 2008, Port Elizabeth withdrew as a host city because its stadium was deemed unlikely to meet the 30 March 2009 deadline for completion.

All of these stadia are to host matches during the British and Irish Lions tour which will be in progress during this tournament, but a minimum of 9 days has been allowed for pitch recovery between a rugby match and a football match. Expect Wembley-style complaints.

2009 Confederations Cup Predictions

Rules: 4 teams in each group, play against the other teams in their group once, top two teams proceed to the semi-finals and so on.

Group A: South Africa, Iraq, New Zealand, Spain
Group B: United States, Italy, Brazil, Egypt

In Group A I expect Spain to win their group comfortably with Iraq coming up as the runners up, although South Africa being the hosts could easily pip them to the post.

In Group B it’s closer on paper but the United States have been a bit clueless under Bob Bradley lately so it’s up to Egypt to cause a few scares and if they can get a win against Italy or Brazil, I think they’ll be a shoe-in for getting to the semis. Italy to win the group though, with Brazil as runner ups.

Semifinal 1: Group A Winner v Group B Runner Up
Semifinal 2: Group B Winner v Group A Runner Up

Predicted Semifinals: Spain v Brazil and Italy v Iraq.

Predicted Final: We’re likely to see Spain take on Italy in the final, and while the European champions will be favourites for such a clash, the World Champions can’t be counted out and I think they could take the game if they can go ahead first in the game.

What are your predictions for the Confederations Cup?

More 2009 Confederations Cup News:

Watch the 2009 Confederations Cup Live
09 Confederations Cup on TV
2009 Confederations Cup Fixtures
2009 Confederations Cup Squads
2009 Confederations Cup Goals

The Magic Of The 2009 Confederations Cup

Studs Up by Chris Toy

From Soccerlens.com - Football News