Some facts on the Confederations Cup final
United States vs. Brazil / Today, 11:15 a.m. / ESPN, Univision
In a sense, today’s FIFA Confederations Cup soccer final between the United States and Brazil in Johannesburg, South Africa, is also for the championship of the Americas. The U.S., playing in its first global final, comes in as champion of North and Central America and the Caribbean. Brazil, playing in its 11th global final, comes in as champion of South America. The game will be played at Ellis Park, one of the venues for the 2010 World Cup. A few more facts about today’s final:
Most recent meeting: Brazil 3, USA 0, in a Confederations Cup first-round game on June 18 in Pretoria. Goals by Felipe Melo, Robinho and Maicon.
All-time head-to-head record: Brazil 13 victories and 26 goals; USA one victory and eight goals.
Most expensive player: Kaka (Brazil) acquired this year by Real Madrid from AC Milan for $94 million; Jozy Altidore (USA) acquired last year by Villarreal from the New York Red Bulls for $10 million.
Oddity No. 1: The American roster has only five players who play in the U.S. The Brazilian roster has only seven players who play in Brazil. The other 34 players are scattered around 11 European countries, Canada and Mexico.
Oddity No. 2: The only U.S. victory was a 1-0 Gold Cup triumph at the L.A. Coliseum on Feb. 10, 1998, when Steve Sampson was U.S. coach. Of the American players on the field that day, only three are still playing: goalkeeper Kasey Keller (Seattle Sounders), defender Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew) and forward Brian McBride (Chicago Fire).
Oddity No. 3: U.S. and former UCLA midfielder Benny Feilhaber was born in Rio de Janeiro.
Oddity No. 4: In the last 15 years, Brazil has never gone more than three years without a major international trophy, winning the World Cup (1994), the Copa America and the Confederations Cup (1997), the Copa America (1999), the World Cup (2002), the Copa America (2004), the Confederations Cup (2005) and the Copa America (2007).
How they got to the Confederations Cup final: The U.S. lost to Italy, 3-1; lost to Brazil, 3-0; defeated Egypt, 3-0, and defeated Spain, 2-0. Brazil defeated Egypt, 4-3, the U.S., 3-0, Italy, 3-0, and South Africa, 1-0.
Probable starting lineups: Brazil: GK Julio Cesar (AC Milan); Maicon (Inter Milan), Lucio (Bayern Munich), Luisao (Benfica), Andre Santos (Corinthians); Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos), Felipe Melo (Fiorentina); Robinho (Manchester City), Kaka (Real Madrid), Ramires (Cruzeiro); Luis Fabiano (Sevilla).
USA: GK Tim Howard (Everton); Jonathan Spector (West Ham United), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard Liege), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes); Landon Donovan (Galaxy), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus), Clint Dempsey (Fulham); Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Charlie Davies (Hammarby).
-- Grahame L. Jones
