A tournament that few had any real excitement for,
Sepp Blatter’s unloved FIFA Confederations Cup,
surprisingly opened with a bang Wednesday in Germany
with not one but two highly entertaining matches. Argentina
got by a better-than-expected Tunisia in a match that
featured three penalties. Tunisia won an early penalty
but missed it, leaving Argentina to pull ahead from
the spot at the half-hour mark. A goal from Javier Saviola
put the World Cup favorites ahead 2-0 in the second
half but another penalty converted by Tunisia’s
Haykel Guemamdia in the 72nd made things interesting.
Ultimately it was not enough, 2-1 to the Argentines.
In the second match, hosts Germany put on a show for
their fans with a rollicking, entertaining 4-3 victory
against a game, up-for-it Australian side that just
may surprise some people at this tournament. The Confederations
Cup is effectively a dress rehearsal for hosts Germany,
both on the pitch and off, for next summer’s main
event, but that does not mean it can’t be fun.
Keep an eye out for the eye-popping futuristic stadiums
throughout the country that have been constructed or
fully remodeled that we are getting a sneak peek of
at this tournament too.
Edward Knowles, International Editor, 90:00™
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