Confederations Cup, Round 2

Some thoughts on round 2 of the Confederations Cup:

--- Fantastic display by the Iraqis against Spain. They kept an excellent defensive shape the entire game, and they were able to attack without sacrificing on the back end. Spain’s still the best team in the world and created multiple chances, but the Iraqi keeper was in otherworldly form to keep his team in it. In the end, one defensive lapse cost them the game, but credit to Iraq for frustrating Spain throughout.

--- South Africa-New Zealand was like an MLS game: lots of pace made it exciting, but sometimes the lack of skill was comical. There were occasional flashes of brilliance, like Glen Moss’ save on Bernard Parker while the score was still 1-0, but all of the key moments seemed to happen through fortunate touches and deflections, even both goals. And this doesn’t even account for the ridiculous miskicks and frequent dumb offsides. The end-to-end style of the game was fun to watch though.

--- Siphiwe Tshabalala might be the most enjoyable name to hear on air. At the very least, this is one thing that the South African team brings to the table next year.

--- Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth are two of the best commentators we have broadcasting in the U.S., especially when they work games together. They always know their subject matter well, they’re consistently entertaining and emotive, and they’re not afraid to express an opinion when necessary. They’ve even been around for so long that they show an eye-opening historical perspective, such as their commentary during Egypt-Italy on the history of Coca-Cola Park and its place in South African political history. Adrian Healey and Andy Gray deserve mention as the other great commentators of today, as does Ray Hudson for sheer entertainment value, but the substance of Rae and Smyth broadcasts is nearly unmatched.

--- Make no mistake; this is Giuseppe Rossi’s tournament. His rampant display against the United States was aided by poor American defending, but he showed against Egypt that he’s always dangerous from anywhere on the pitch. Despite the fact that the whole American-Italian angle is being played up way too much, this might still be his emergence as a quality striker. Here’s hoping Manchester United take up their buyback option.

--- What a great game between Egypt and Italy. Both teams had exciting spells with the ball, but while Italy took most of the chances, the final result came down to defense. On one end, Italy made one defensive mistake at the end of the first half, and Egypt took advantage with a well-headed goal. On the other end, the defense never broke their shape, and Essam El Hadary was absolutely fantastic in goal with at least 5 lead-protecting saves in the second half. Egypt owes their victory to him.

Every team except New Zealand has something play for in the third round, even if teams like Brazil and the U.S. are unlikely to move from where they are. Regardless, a spot is open in both groups, so good news for everybody: the third round should be exciting throughout. Watch this space.