Japan are favourites to beat Italy in the Confederations Cup on Wednesday because of their Italian manager and the fact they have had more rest, according to Azzurri coach Cesare Prandelli.
He believes Japan's Italian coach Alberto Zaccheroni's familiarity with his compatriots might cause Italy problems.
"Japan will have the slight edge, I think, because they have an extra day of rest," said Prandelli.
"Plus, Alberto knows us very well, he knows how we work. I expect him to prepare a trap for us....
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08:26 AM, Jun 18, 2013
Belo Horizonte: Nigeria rolled to a 6-1 victory at Confederations Cup on Monday over Tahiti, who were making their debut at a major FIFA tournament. Nnamdi Oduamadi scored a hat-trick for the African champions, while Elderson Echiejile added two more. Tahiti avoided humiliation Monday in their debut at a global football tournament by scoring a goal in their loss to Nigeria. Jonathan Tehau headed in a goal early in the...
03:11 AM, Jun 18, 2013
Recife: Spain has everything else, and now it seems to have a genuine striker - the one thing the World Cup champions have had trouble finding. New No. 9 Roberto Soldado scored with a perfect finish in Spain's 2-1 victory over Uruguay in the Confederations Cup opener. The Valencia striker scored both goals in Spain's 2-0 victory over Ireland in a friendly last week, and now he's chalked up the...
07:56 PM, Jun 17, 2013
Italy playmaker Andrea Pirlo gave Brazilian fans a taste of what they were missing as he marked his 100th international appearance by orchestrating his side's 2-1 win against Mexico in the Confederations Cup on Sunday. The notoriously difficult to please Maracana crowd was united in its adulation of the 34-year-old, appreciating the sort of player their own country has struggled to produce and even shunned. Pirlo's role as a deep-lying...
04:33 PM, Jun 17, 2013
Revife: Spain coach Vicente del Bosque refused to be drawn on why he chose goalkeeper Iker Casillas in his starting line-up over Victor Valdez against Uruguay in their Confederations Cup opener. Casillas had not played a competitive match since January and many predicted Valdez would be first-choice in goal for La Roja's opening Confederations Cup Group B match, reports Xinhua. "I have seen it fit (to play Casillas)," Del Bosque...
01:11 PM, Jun 17, 2013
Rio de Janeiro: Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said he was frustrated with Mario Balotelli after the striker's shirtless goal celebration in the Azzurri's 2-1 victory over Mexico in the Confederation Cup. Chilean referee Enrique Osses cautioned Balotelli after the 21-year-old followed his 77th-minute winner on Sunday by repeating the flexed-muscle pose he made famous during last year's European Championships, reports Xinhua. The AC Milan forward was immediately benched by Prandelli...
12:37 PM, Jun 17, 2013
Rio de Janeiro: The Nigerian soccer team arrived in Brazil, three days behind schedule and a day before it opens their Confederations Cup football campaign against Tahiti. The team landed in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte early on Sunday morning, putting an end to speculations that Nigeria might miss the eight-team tournament due to unspecified "internal problems", reports Xinhua. Africa's current top team was expected in Brazil last Thursday,...
11:33 AM, Jun 17, 2013
Recife: Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque criticised his players for not scoring more goals during a sublime first half against Uruguay and said that profligacy caused some heart flutters at the end of their 2-1 Confederations Cup victory on Sunday. "We dominated at all times with the exception of when we struggled and let in a goal," del Bosque said. "At the end of the 90 minutes we were happy...
08:49 AM, Jun 17, 2013
Recife, Brazil: The scoreline may suggest otherwise, but Spain cruised to an easy 2-1 victory over Uruguay in their Confederations Cup opener on Sunday, winning with first-half goals by Pedro and Roberto Soldado. Spain had a little luck with the first goal, which may have been heading wide when it took a huge deflection off Uruguay defender Diego Lugano to beat goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. The second was perfect finishing by...
06:08 AM, Jun 17, 2013
Rio de Janeiro: Mario Balotelli scored the winner in Italy's 2-1 victory over Mexico on Sunday at the Confederations Cup. In the 78th minute, Balotelli collected a perfectly placed acrobatic pass from Emanuele Giaccherini and muscled in between two defenders to break the deadlock in the first official match at the renovated Maracana Stadium. Celebrating his 100th appearance with the national team, Andrea Pirlo had given Italy the lead with...
02:36 AM, Jun 17, 2013
Recife, Brazil: Veteran midfielder Xavi said Spain will not accept anything less than victory at the Confederations Cup as the reigning World Cup champions begin their quest for the only major trophy that has eluded them. La Roja start their Group B campaign against Uruguay at the Arena Pernambucoon Sunday and Xavi says his team will not be short of motivation, reports Xinhua. "I'm not getting any younger and you...
12:27 PM, Jun 16, 2013
Rio de Janerio: When Mexico open their Confederations Cup campaign against Italy on Sunday at the Maracana stadium, they will be seeking relief from a dismal World Cup qualifying campaign. The Central American side has won just one of six qualifiers with three goals scored, and failed to find the target at all in their last two drawn matches against Panama and Costa Rica, putting coach Jose Manuel De la...
10:23 AM, Jun 16, 2013
Brasilia: Neymar started to live up to the huge expectations of a demanding public only three minutes into the Confederations Cup on Saturday, scoring an early goal to help Brazil beat Japan 3-0 in the opening match of the tournament. The Brazil striker scored with a firm shot from outside the penalty area, connecting with the ball after Fred controlled a long cross from Marcelo with his chest. The ball...
02:49 AM, Jun 16, 2013
Rio de Janeiro: Spain forward Fernando Torres believes that under new Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho, he will be able to rediscover the form that made him one of the world's most feared strikers. Mourinho has said Torres can still play an important role at the London club despite a disappointing run since he left Liverpool two-and-a-half years ago for a British record fee of 50 million pounds. Torres, who is...
07:45 PM, Jun 15, 2013
Recife, Brazil: Luis Suarez says he will not consider his possible departure from Liverpool until after the Confederations Cup in Brazil. The Uruguay striker this week reiterated his desire to leave Liverpool during the European summer transfer window, and the 26-year-old has been linked to Spanish giants Real Madrid, reports Xinhua. Despite declaring that a move to the Bernabeu would be a "dream come true", he insists he is focused...
05:54 PM, Jun 15, 2013
IBNLive Sports gives you Saturday's round-up of all the latest transfer news and gossip from the leading clubs and top players around the world. Juan Mata rubbishes reports of Chelsea exit Chelsea's player of the year Juan Mata has brushed aside reports that the new Blues' boss Jose Mourinho has put him up for sale. Read more... Claudio Marchisio responds to Manchester United links Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio has been...
05:26 PM, Jun 15, 2013
Rio De Janeiro: Italy's star forward Mario Balotelli exited the training pitch with a right leg muscle problem, two days before the Azzurri open their Confederations Cup campaign against Mexico. The Italian football federation said that Balotelli walked off a closed training session with team physician Enrico Castellacci but that it was only for precautionary reasons and related to a previous physical problem. Castellacci will evaluate the problem further on...
12:27 PM, Jun 15, 2013
According to a report in The Daily Mail, the Zenit forward wants a move to Stamford Bridge but has asked for negotiations to be postponed until after after the Confederations Cup. The 26-year-old is on international duty with Brazil. The Confederations Cup, which is being hosted by Brazil, runs from 15 to 30 June. He is also a target for the French club, Monaco, but wants his club to accept...
10:40 AM, Jun 15, 2013
Recife: Victor Valdes refuses to say if he or Real Madrid's Iker Casillas will start Spain's game against Uruguay on Sunday but whether the Barcelona keeper plays or not, he is just delighted to be at the Confederations Cup. Valdes is one of seven Barca players out to complete an awesome full house of nine major tournament honours. Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Pedro and David Villa have...
09:35 AM, Jun 15, 2013
Brasilia: Losing the first match of a tournament is terrible, said Brazil coach Luis Felipe Scolari on the eve of the Confederations Cup opener against Japan. Scolari was in charge of hosts Portugal when they lost the opening game of Euro 2004 to Greece and his side went on to lose again to the same opponents in the final three weeks later. "It is absolutely terrible to play the first...
09:00 AM, Jun 15, 2013
