Brazil won a heated matchup of past and present soccer powers,
boosting its confidence as it prepares to host next year's World Cup.
Fred scored two goals, Neymar added another and Brazil defeated world champion Spain 3-0 in the Confederations Cup final on Sunday night as protesters clashed with riot police outside Maracana Stadium.
Brazil, a five-time world champion, beat the reigning world and European champion and ended Spain's 29-game, three-year winning streak in competitive matches.
"We beat the world champions today, but we know that the tournament that we will be playing next year will be a lot more difficult," Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said. "Now we have more confidence. That's what we needed."
We beat the world champions today, but we know that the tournament that we will be playing next year will be a lot more difficult. Now we have more confidence. That's what we needed
Fred put Brazil ahead in the second minute, Neymar doubled the lead in the 44th with his fourth goal of the tournament and Fred added his fifth in the 47th.
Brazil, which won its third straight Confederations Cup, has not lost a competitive home match since 1975.
Spain, which had not lost a competitive game since its 2010 World Cup opener against Switzerland, had a miserable night. Sergio Ramos sent a penalty kick wide in the 55th and defender Gerard Pique was ejected by Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers with a straight red card for fouling Neymar in the 68th.
"They were superior on every way," Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque said. "They scored early. This is not an excuse but they had pressure on us all the time."
Evening all – a very late one in the UK with an 11pm kick-off which brings back memories of 1986 and is a useful taster for next year's World Cup. Your regular guides throughout this tournament are sadly indisposed – Jacob Steinberg getting his giant ball signed down in SW19 and Paul Doyle who has it in his contract that he never works when Mumford & Sons are playing live.
Anyway this is the final we all wanted or at least that's what the Spain captain, Iker Casillas, thinks and Neymar too. Both semi-finals were enjoyable and intriguing and, though Spain were taken to extra-time and penalties 24 hours after Brazil's victory over Uruguay, it would be fair to say that they had the luxury of being able to rest 10 first-choice players against Tahiti (except for Sergio Ramos who only played a half) so the starting XIs' fatigue relative to each other shouldn't be an issue. I would expect the hosts' to stick with the side Luis Felipe Scolari has used for all bar the Italy match with Hulk and Neymar either side of Fred and the impressive Luiz Gustavo, Paulinho and Oscar behind them. Spain have injury concerns over Xavi and, of course, Xabi Alonso is back at home nursing his groin. "Nursing" as a verb, like adjudge, is one of football's more quaint usages that we should do more to encourage. Word is that Bayern Munich's Javi Martínez who came on as a sub against Italy will replace him if required. Other dilemmas for Vicente del Bosque if such a Gary Cooper figure really has anything as wendy as dilemmas, are deciding whether it's Jesus Navas or Pedro, Cesc Fabregas or Fernando Torres/David Villa/Bob Soldado.
We shall find out soon enough. In the meantime, help yourself to their last two tournament meetings, first up during the 1986 World Cup from Guadalajara when Michel's scorcher bounced over the line and was not given and Socrates scored with a header that was (under the old wording of the law) offside. And yes, that is Gerald Sinstadt commentating though probably dubbed on.
Finally, from 1978 here's the 0-0 draw in Mar del Plata on a rotten pitch with David Coleman. Enjoy.
Fred scored two goals, Neymar added another and Brazil defeated world champion Spain 3-0 in the Confederations Cup final on Sunday night as protesters clashed with riot police outside Maracana Stadium.
Brazil, a five-time world champion, beat the reigning world and European champion and ended Spain's 29-game, three-year winning streak in competitive matches.
"We beat the world champions today, but we know that the tournament that we will be playing next year will be a lot more difficult," Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said. "Now we have more confidence. That's what we needed."
We beat the world champions today, but we know that the tournament that we will be playing next year will be a lot more difficult. Now we have more confidence. That's what we needed
Fred put Brazil ahead in the second minute, Neymar doubled the lead in the 44th with his fourth goal of the tournament and Fred added his fifth in the 47th.
Brazil, which won its third straight Confederations Cup, has not lost a competitive home match since 1975.
Spain, which had not lost a competitive game since its 2010 World Cup opener against Switzerland, had a miserable night. Sergio Ramos sent a penalty kick wide in the 55th and defender Gerard Pique was ejected by Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers with a straight red card for fouling Neymar in the 68th.
"They were superior on every way," Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque said. "They scored early. This is not an excuse but they had pressure on us all the time."
Evening all – a very late one in the UK with an 11pm kick-off which brings back memories of 1986 and is a useful taster for next year's World Cup. Your regular guides throughout this tournament are sadly indisposed – Jacob Steinberg getting his giant ball signed down in SW19 and Paul Doyle who has it in his contract that he never works when Mumford & Sons are playing live.
Anyway this is the final we all wanted or at least that's what the Spain captain, Iker Casillas, thinks and Neymar too. Both semi-finals were enjoyable and intriguing and, though Spain were taken to extra-time and penalties 24 hours after Brazil's victory over Uruguay, it would be fair to say that they had the luxury of being able to rest 10 first-choice players against Tahiti (except for Sergio Ramos who only played a half) so the starting XIs' fatigue relative to each other shouldn't be an issue. I would expect the hosts' to stick with the side Luis Felipe Scolari has used for all bar the Italy match with Hulk and Neymar either side of Fred and the impressive Luiz Gustavo, Paulinho and Oscar behind them. Spain have injury concerns over Xavi and, of course, Xabi Alonso is back at home nursing his groin. "Nursing" as a verb, like adjudge, is one of football's more quaint usages that we should do more to encourage. Word is that Bayern Munich's Javi Martínez who came on as a sub against Italy will replace him if required. Other dilemmas for Vicente del Bosque if such a Gary Cooper figure really has anything as wendy as dilemmas, are deciding whether it's Jesus Navas or Pedro, Cesc Fabregas or Fernando Torres/David Villa/Bob Soldado.
We shall find out soon enough. In the meantime, help yourself to their last two tournament meetings, first up during the 1986 World Cup from Guadalajara when Michel's scorcher bounced over the line and was not given and Socrates scored with a header that was (under the old wording of the law) offside. And yes, that is Gerald Sinstadt commentating though probably dubbed on.
Finally, from 1978 here's the 0-0 draw in Mar del Plata on a rotten pitch with David Coleman. Enjoy.
