By:Jens
2009-10-14

One thing that has been really noticeable about the Confederations Cup is that the form book has meant virtually nothing which makes predicting the final a bit trickier than some people may think. By rights, Brazil should be looking at another Confederations Cup win which will take them past France as the nation who has won the tournament the most but standing in their way are the United States of America. They may be insisting this event is a soccer tournament as opposed to a football event but you cant fault the Americans for what they have managed to do. And it is this fact that perhaps makes predicting the outcome of the final a bit trickier than you may first have thought.

The first big shock the Americans pulled off was in overhauling a six goal swing in comparison to Italy, where they managed to keep their end of the bargain up by beating Egypt by three goals to nil. President Obama may have rode into power last year with an “YES WE CAN” attitude but it was no more striking than the one shown by the US soccer stars. This ability to notch goals whilst keeping it tight at the back will give the soccer fans of America some hope for the final. Of course, they only managed to get through because Brazil managed to defeat Italy by a 3-0 score line, so the same could be said about Brazil. Then again, it’s not as if the attacking prowess of the Brazil team needs to be underlined.

Looking at the semi-finals, USA were actually the most impressive team, which again will give them hope for the final. Very few people thought they would overcome a Spanish team on a lengthy unbeaten run but for whatever reason, the Spanish never really got going and the Americans picked them off at the right times and deserved their 2-0 triumph. The American ladies soccer team has been the more successful so this should give the boys their 90 minutes in the sun.

Don’t forget though that these two teams have already squared off against each other in this tournament, with a 3-0 triumph for Brazil giving them the edge and making them favourites. It needs to be remembered though that football doesn’t always follow logic and there is no way that the pride or professionalism of the US soccer stars will want another heavy defeat. This means they are likely to deploy more defensive tactics this time around in order to stifle Brazil and this will have an impact on the betting options.

The over/under bet is going to be very interesting as both teams have the firepower to suggest there will be over 2.5 goals but Brazil struggled against South Africa and the USA will be set up to keep it tight at the back. This may mean the more attractive odds will be for the under 2.5 goals but if Brazil score early, get yourself onto the live betting options as the games shape will open up dramatically as the United States push forward to get back into the game. This would allow Brazil to attack on the counter, a tactic they are well suited to playing and could ensure that the final turns out to be a goals-fest.

The hearts and minds of football fans all around the world will tell you that this is Brazils final and if they want to win it, they will win it. The thing is though, the exact same thing was said about the Spain versus USA semi final and we all know who are competing for the right to claim the Confederations Cup. Whatever happens on Sunday, lets just hope there is a fantastic game and if you have money on it, good luck!