2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
Brazil Come From Behind to Win Confederations Cup in South Africa
Jun 29, 2009
Striker Luis Fabiano, who plays in Spain with Sevilla, played a pivotal role in the comeback with an inspired second half double that brought his side back into contention before Lucio's header 4 minutes from time won the contest.
First World Final for USA
For the U.S National team, this was a first final for the nation outside their respective confederation.
USA proved to be the surprise package of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, reaching the final having beaten World Champions Italy to qualify from the group stages and upsetting European Champions Spain in the semi finals.
Most felt that the USA had little chance of defeating South American Champions Brazil in the final, but the Americans gave a good account of themselves early on and took a 2-0 lead at half time following goals from Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan.
However, with a lack of experience at World final level, the Americans buckled to the pressure of a Brazilian onslaught and ended up losing 3-2 in a very one sided second half. Despite the defeat, USA will have taken a lot of positives from the tournament in general and will be hoping to replicate this performance in next year's World Cup.
More Success for Brazil
The 2009 FIFA Confederations win was Brazil's 3rd in the competition but was more remarkably their 16th major trophy for the senior side.
Having won 8 Copa America's (1919,1922,1949,1989,1997,1999,2004,2007) and 5 World Cup's (1958,1962,1970,1994,2002) previously, this latest success reiterated Brazil's position as the most successful nation in World football.
Their attention will now turn to next year's World Cup in a bid to win an unprecedented 6th title - and judging by their latest triumph, few will bet against them winning it.
Luis Fabiano is Tournament Top Scorer
After playing a starring role in the final, striker Luis Fabiano was left to celebrate more than just a tournament win. He also managed to scoop the personal accolade of 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Top Scorer.
His two goals in the final took his tally to 5 in 5 games, leaving him alone at the top of the scoring charts. The Sevilla striker has become the focal point of the Brazilian attack and has an impressive strike rate for his country.
Provided Brazil qualify for next year's World Cup, which they should, Luis Fabiano is almost certain to feature in the South American champions' squad. He will be looking to follow in the footsteps of legendary strikers such as Ronaldo and Romario and fire his country to another World Cup success.
South Africa to Host World Cup
With the Confederations Cup in South Africa now over, the focus will be on the 2010 World Cup which will also be held in South Africa.
The Confederations Cup is seen as a 'dress rehearsal' for the World Cup and it appears the tournament went well enough for FIFA to feel confident of a successful tournament a year from now.
The 8 teams who participated in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup will go in (provided they qualify) with the advantage of having played in the conditions of the venue and got used to the style of pitches.
For host nation South Africa, they will be looking to make as big an impact in the World Cup as they did in the warm up, where they finished a respectable 4th.
