2009 FIFA Confederations Cup final

Last updated

2009 FIFA Confederations Cup final
Ellis Park Stadium.jpg
Ellis Park Stadium, the venue for the final
Event 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
Date28 June 2009
Venue Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
Man of the Match Kaká (Brazil) [1]
Referee Martin Hansson (Sweden) [2]
Attendance52,291
WeatherClear
10 °C (50 °F)
26% humidity
2005
2013

The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup final was an association football match that took place on 28 June 2009 to determine the winners of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. It was played at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, and was contested by the United States and Brazil. The United States, playing in their first major men's tournament final, took a 2–0 lead in the first half, but Brazil scored three unanswered goals after half-time to win 3–2.

Contents

The United States and Brazil qualified for the tournament as winners of their respective continents in 2007 and were drawn into Group B alongside African champions Egypt and reigning World Cup champions Italy. Brazil comfortably qualified for the knockout round by winning all three of their matches, including a 3–0 victory over the United States, while the Americans finished second in the group on the goals scored tiebreaker ahead of Italy. The United States upset European champions Spain in the semi-finals with a 2–0 victory, while Brazil defeated hosts South Africa 1–0 in the other semi-final fixture.

The match drew a television audience of 3.9 million viewers in the United States, surpassing the record for a non-World Cup fixture. The U.S. team would go on to play in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where they were given a special exemption to roster size limits to prevent player fatigue, and reached the tournament's final before losing to Mexico. Both finalists made it to the knockout stage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but Brazil were eliminated in the quarter-finals and the United States exited in the Round of 16. Brazil went on to win the next edition of the Confederations Cup, which it hosted.

Route to the final

The FIFA Confederations Cup was a quadrennial international competition between eight men's national teams who had won the respective championships of the six continental confederations, along with the host country and the reigning FIFA World Cup champion. [3] [4] The finalists of the 2009 Confederations Cup, the United States and Brazil, had previously met thirteen times, including at the Confederations Cup group stage in 1999 and 2003 and in the knockout stage of the 1994 World Cup. [5] [6] Brazil won twelve of the fixtures, while the sole U.S. victory over Brazil came in the semi-finals of the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup, in which the American goalkeeper Kasey Keller made several saves to keep the score at 1–0. [7] [8]

The United States qualified for their fourth stint in the competition after winning the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, while Brazil's victory in the 2007 Copa América granted them a sixth berth in the Confederations Cup. [9] Brazil had also previously won the Confederations Cup on two occasions, in 1997 and 2005, while the United States were appearing in their first final in a senior men's competition outside of their home region. [10] [11] Both teams were drawn into Group B of the Confederations Cup, alongside African champions Egypt and reigning World Cup champions Italy. [12]

Group stage

Brazil began their defence of the Confederations Cup title by playing Egypt in Bloemfontein. Kaká opened the scoring in the fifth minute with a series of controlled chips past three defenders, but Egypt's Mohamed Zidan scored an equaliser four minutes later on a header. Brazil regained and extended the lead by half-time through two headed goals by Luís Fabiano in the 11th minute, finishing a free kick taken by Elano, and by Juan in the 37th minute from a corner kick. [13] Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Shawky scored from outside the box in the 54th minute and was followed a minute later by a second goal for Zidan, levelling the score at 3–3. The match remained tied until a handball in the box by substitute Ahmed Elmohamady led to a penalty kick, which was converted in the 90th minute by Kaká to win the match for Brazil. [13] [14]

The Americans played their first match against Italy and held the World Cup champions to a scoreless first half, despite a red card being shown to midfielder Ricardo Clark, who tackled Gennaro Gattuso in the 33rd minute. A challenge by Giorgio Chiellini on Jozy Altidore earned a penalty for the United States, which was scored by Landon Donovan in the 41st minute and gave them a half-time lead. [15] The Italians equalised in the 58th minute through a 30-yard (27 m) strike by American-born striker Giuseppe Rossi, who had been substituted a minute before and stole possession from Benny Feilhaber in the midfield to set up the shot. [16] The team then took the lead through another long-distance shot in the 72nd minute by Daniele De Rossi and finished their 3–1 victory with a second goal for Rossi in extra time following a chipped cross by Andrea Pirlo. [16] [17]

The eventual finalists faced each other at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on the second matchday, which ended in a 3–0 victory for Brazil. Maicon took a free kick from 35 yards (32 m) that found Felipe Melo, who headed it from the box to score the opening goal in the seventh minute. The lead was extended in the 20th minute after DaMarcus Beasley lost possession after a U.S. corner, which was dribbled up field by Ramires and passed to Robinho, whose shot went past Tim Howard into the goal. U.S. midfielder Sacha Kljestan was sent off for a foul in the 57th minute and the team lost momentum that they had gained in the second half before conceding a final goal to Brazil five minutes later through a shot by Maicon from a narrow angle near the touchline. [18] Although the U.S. lost their first two matches, they were still eligible to advance following an upset victory for Egypt over Italy that kept them from being mathematically eliminated. [19]

Brazil finished their group stage run with a 3–0 defeat of Italy, denying the reigning World Cup champions a berth in the semi-finals by scoring three times in the first half. After several chances for Brazil that went wide of the goal, Luís Fabiano opened the scoring in the 37th minute after collecting a mis-hit shot by Maicon. Fabiano added a second goal six minutes later that was assisted by Kaká and dummied by Robinho, who created the third goal two minutes later by passing a ball into the Italian box on a counterattack, which was deflected into the goal by defender Andrea Dossena. [20] The Italians failed to score a consolation goal in the second half, which doomed them to fall short of the United States on goal difference and goals scored in the tie-breakers for runners-up in Group B. [21] [22]

In their final group stage match against Egypt, the United States took the lead in the 21st minute following a mistake by goalkeeper Essam Al Hadary that allowed Charlie Davies to score from the loose ball in the box. Midfielder Michael Bradley then scored in the 63rd minute following a series of give-and-go passes with Landon Donovan, and Clint Dempsey added a third by heading in a cross from Jonathan Spector in the 71st minute. [22] With their 3–0 victory, the United States were tied on three points with Italy and Egypt and tied the former with a goal difference of −2. The United States were able to advance on the second tie-breaker (goals scored), having scored four goals to Italy's three. [22] [23]

Semi-finals

Clint Dempsey scored the second goal for the United States in their semi-final upset of Spain Clint Dempsey 20110622.jpg
Clint Dempsey scored the second goal for the United States in their semi-final upset of Spain

The United States faced Group A winners Spain, the reigning European champions and a favourite to win the 2010 World Cup. [24] [25] The Americans earned an upset 2–0 victory in the semi-finals, breaking Spain's 35-match unbeaten streak that began in November 2006, [26] and qualified for their first final at a major intercontinental men's tournament at the senior level in what was dubbed the "miracle on grass" by The New York Times . [11] [27] The Americans opened the match with early attacking pressure and disrupted Spain's midfield possession style. Jozy Altidore scored the first goal of the match in the 27th minute, shooting from the top of the box and benefiting from a pair of deflections off the gloves of Iker Casillas and the goalpost. [26] The U.S. held on, despite being outshot 18–9 by Spain, and earned a second goal in the 74th minute with a pass by Landon Donovan that deflected off defenders Gerard Piqué and Sergio Ramos and fell to Clint Dempsey, who turned his body and shot from short range to make it 2–0. [11] [28]

Brazil played hosts South Africa, the Group A runners-up, in the other semi-final fixture a day later, winning 1–0. The match remained scoreless for 88 minutes, despite several chances for Brazil that went wide and two saves by goalkeeper Júlio César on a Siphiwe Tshabalala free kick and a long-range shot by Steven Pienaar. The deadlock was broken by substitute Dani Alves, who took a free kick that reached the far corner to beat goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune. [29]

Summary of results

United StatesRoundBrazil
OpponentResult Group stage OpponentResult
Flag of Italy.svg Italy 1–3 Matchday 1 Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt 4–3
Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil 0–3 Matchday 2 Flag of the United States.svg United States 3–0
Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt 3–0 Matchday 3 Flag of Italy.svg Italy 3–0
Group B runners-up

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts
1Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 3300103+79Advance to knockout stage
2Flag of the United States.svg  United States 31024623
3Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 31023523
4Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt 31024733
Source: FIFA
Final standings Group B winner

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts
1Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 3300103+79Advance to knockout stage
2Flag of the United States.svg  United States 31024623
3Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 31023523
4Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt 31024733
Source: FIFA
OpponentResult Knockout stage OpponentResult
Flag of Spain.svg Spain 2–0 Semi-finals Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa 1–0

Venue

The final was played at Ellis Park Stadium in central Johannesburg, which also hosted four earlier matches and the 1995 Rugby World Cup Final. It primarily serves as the home of Orlando Pirates F.C. and underwent minor renovations for the Confederations Cup and World Cup, raising its capacity to 61,000 spectators. [30] The stadium's pitch was damaged by an international rugby fixture two weeks before the start of the tournament, requiring emergency work by grounds crews. [31]

Pre-match

Closing ceremony

The tournament's closing ceremony took place at Ellis Park Stadium prior to the final match and was produced by VWV Group and Till Dawn Entertainment, later chosen for the 2010 World Cup opening ceremony. [32] The Confederations Cup ceremony featured 150 drummers, 150 choir singers from local churches, and 20 professional dancers, performing under a large ball with images of the tournament projected onto its surface. [33] Zenani Mandela, the thirteen-year-old great-granddaughter of Nelson Mandela, carried the Confederations Cup trophy to the podium prior to the match. [34]

Officials

Swedish referee Martin Hansson was selected by FIFA to lead the officiating team for the Confederations Cup final, his first assignment in a tournament final. Hansson had previously been in charge of the tournament's opening match and at several youth tournaments for FIFA. His compatriots Henrik Andrén and Frederik Nilsson served as assistant referees, while Mexican referee Benito Archundia was the fourth official. [35] Héctor Vergara served as the reserve assistant referee (also called the fifth official). [36]

Match

Summary

Luis Fabiano scored two goals during Brazil's second-half comeback to win the final JSP 0799.JPG
Luís Fabiano scored two goals during Brazil's second-half comeback to win the final

Brazilian manager Dunga chose to use the 4–2–3–1 formation that the team had used in their previous matches, while U.S. coach Bob Bradley used an adapted 4–4–2; [37] midfielder Michael Bradley was suspended due to his red card in the semi-final and was replaced by Benny Feilhaber in the starting lineup. [38] [39] At a pre-match ceremony, FIFA honoured Cameroonian midfielder Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of a heart-related disease during a 2003 Confederations Cup semi-final match. [40] Marc-Scott Foé read a commemorative message in tribute to his father's memory while both teams stood together at the centre circle. [41]

The United States took an early lead in the 10th minute, following a free kick taken by Jonathan Spector that was crossed into the path of Clint Dempsey, who struck the ball with his right foot. Goalkeeper Tim Howard then made several major saves to preserve the lead amid several Brazilian attacks; the Americans took advantage of a counterattack, with Ricardo Clark running upfield and passing to Landon Donovan, shooting from just inside the box to score in the 27th minute. [42] The team entered half-time with a 2–0 lead, described as a shock upset by commentators. [43] [44]

Brazil reduced the lead in the first minute of the second half, as Luís Fabiano scored in the penalty area by controlling the ball while turning around defender Jay DeMerit. In the 60th minute, Kaká headed the ball past the goal line, but it was knocked away by Tim Howard; replays showed that the ball had crossed the line, but it was not called in Brazil's favor. [38] [42] The equalising goal was scored in the 74th minute, following a cross by Kaká that was shot into the crossbar by Elano and ricocheted toward Fabiano, who headed the ball into the net. Elano's corner kick in the 84th minute was headed into the goal by Brazilian captain Lúcio, who had beaten Clint Dempsey to the ball. [38]

Details

United States  Flag of the United States.svg2–3Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil
Dempsey Soccerball shade.svg10'
Donovan Soccerball shade.svg27'
Report Luís Fabiano Soccerball shade.svg46', 74'
Lúcio Soccerball shade.svg84'
Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
Attendance: 52,291
Referee: Martin Hansson (Sweden)
Kit left arm borderonwhite.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body Us kit.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm borderonwhite.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
United States
Kit left arm goldgreenborder.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body bra08h.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm goldgreenborder.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
Brazil
GK1 Tim Howard
RB21 Jonathan Spector
CB5 Oguchi Onyewu
CB15 Jay DeMerit
LB3 Carlos Bocanegra (c)Yellow card.svg 19'
CM13 Ricardo Clark Sub off.svg 88'
CM22 Benny Feilhaber Sub off.svg 75'
RW8 Clint Dempsey
LW10 Landon Donovan
SS17 Jozy Altidore Sub off.svg 75'
CF9 Charlie Davies
Substitutions:
DF2 Jonathan Bornstein Sub on.svg 75'
MF16 Sacha Kljestan Sub on.svg 75'
FW4 Conor Casey Sub on.svg 88'
Manager:
Bob Bradley
FIFACC Final line up.svg
GK1 Júlio César
RB2 Maicon
CB3 Lúcio (c)Yellow card.svg 69'
CB14 Luisão
LB16 André Santos Yellow card.svg 36'Sub off.svg 66'
CM8 Gilberto Silva
CM5 Felipe Melo Yellow card.svg 25'
RW18 Ramires Sub off.svg 67'
AM10 Kaká
LW11 Robinho
CF9 Luís Fabiano
Substitutions:
DF13 Dani Alves Sub on.svg 66'
MF7 Elano Sub on.svg 67'
Manager:
Dunga

Man of the Match:
Kaká (Brazil) [1]

Assistant referees:
Henrik Andrén (Sweden)
Fredrik Nilsson (Sweden)
Fourth official:
Benito Archundia (Mexico)
Fifth official:
Héctor Vergara (Canada)

Post-match

Brazil became the second country to win consecutive editions of the Confederations Cup, following France's victories in 2001 and 2003 before the tournament switched to a quadrennial schedule. [45] Kaká was named the man of the match for his performance and also won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. [1] [46] His teammate Luís Fabiano won the Golden Shoe, having scored five goals in five matches, and the Silver Ball. [46] American goalkeeper Tim Howard won the tournament's Golden Glove award for his performances, including five saves in the first half of the final. [47] In the 2010 World Cup, Brazil finished atop their group and defeated Chile in the Round of 16 before being eliminated by the Netherlands in the quarter-finals. [48] [49] Brazil hosted the next edition of the Confederations Cup in 2013 and became the first team to win three successive Confederations Cups by defeating Spain 3–0 in the final. [45] [50]

The U.S. broadcast of the match on ESPN was watched by an audience of 3.9 million people, the largest figure for a non-World Cup fixture on the network and among the largest ever for the U.S. men's national team. [51] The United States returned home to contest the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, which began less than a week after the final, but were granted an expanded roster by CONCACAF to prevent player fatigue. The Gold Cup roster was primarily drawn from Major League Soccer, with only four members of the Confederations Cup squad who were retained. [52] [53] The U.S. team advanced to the Gold Cup final, where they lost 5–0 to rivals Mexico and were unable to defend their continental title. [54] The United States also topped their group in the 2010 World Cup, winning once and drawing twice, but were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Ghana. [55] [56]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 FIFA World Cup</span> Association football tournament in South Korea and Japan

The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea/Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial football world championship for men's national teams organized by FIFA. It was held from 31 May to 30 June 2002 at sites in South Korea and Japan, with its final match hosted by Japan at International Stadium in Yokohama. During the opening ceremony, the championship was declared opened by President of South Korea Kim Dae-jung.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FIFA Women's World Cup</span> Womens international association football competition

The FIFA Women's World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's international governing body. The competition has been held every four years and one year after the men's FIFA World Cup since 1991, when the inaugural tournament, then called the FIFA Women's World Championship, was held in China. Under the tournament's current format, national teams vie for the remaining 31 slots in a three-year qualification phase. The host nation's team is automatically entered as the first slot. The tournament, called the World Cup Finals, is contested at venues within the host nation(s) over about one month.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003 FIFA Women's World Cup</span> 2003 edition of the FIFA Womens World Cup

The 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup was the fourth edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, the quadrennial championship of women's national soccer teams organized by FIFA. It was held in the United States from September 20 to October 12, 2003, at six venues in six cities across the country. The tournament was won by Germany, who became the first country to win both the men's and women's World Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 FIFA Women's World Cup</span> 1999 edition of the FIFA Womens World Cup

The 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup was the third edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, the world championship for women's national soccer teams. It was hosted as well as won by the United States and took place from June 19 to July 10, 1999, at eight venues across the country. The tournament was the most successful FIFA Women's World Cup in terms of attendance, television ratings, and public interest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaká</span> Brazilian footballer (born 1982)

Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, commonly known as Kaká or Ricardo Kaká, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. In his prime as a playmaker at AC Milan, where he was known for his passing, pace, goalscoring, and dribbling, Kaká was widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. With success for both club and country, he is one of the nine players to win the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and the Ballon d'Or.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 FIFA Confederations Cup</span> 7th FIFA Confederations Cup, held in Germany

The 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the seventh FIFA Confederations Cup. It was held in Germany between 15 June and 29 June 2005, as a prelude to the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The tournament was won by 2002 FIFA World Cup winners Brazil, who defeated Argentina 4–1 in the final at the Waldstadion in Frankfurt. The final was a rematch of the 2004 Copa América final also won by Brazil. It was Brazil's second win at the Confederations Cup. After winning the 2005 tournament, Brazil became the first country to be the reigning champion of both major FIFA tournaments, as well as champion of their respective confederation twice by winning the 2004 Copa América.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luís Fabiano</span> Brazilian footballer (born 1980)

Luís Fabiano Clemente, commonly known as Luís Fabiano, is a retired Brazilian professional footballer who played as a striker most notably for Sevilla, São Paulo, and the Brazil national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 FIFA Confederations Cup</span> 8th FIFA Confederations Cup, held in South Africa

The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009, as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match and the final was played at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg. The tournament was won by Brazil, who retained the trophy they won in 2005 by defeating the United States 3–2 in the final.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 FIFA World Cup final</span> World Cup final, held in the United States

The 1994 FIFA World Cup final was a soccer game that took place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, United States, on July 17, 1994, to determine the winner of the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Brazil beat Italy 3–2 on penalties to claim its fourth World Cup title when the game finished 0–0 after extra time; this was the first new FIFA World Cup Trophy for Brazil, as its previous three trophies, last won in 1970, were secured as Jules Rimet Trophy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 FIFA Confederations Cup</span> 9th FIFA Confederations Cup, held in Brazil

The 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup was the ninth FIFA Confederations Cup, which was held in Brazil from 15 to 30 June 2013 as a prelude to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The most recent winners of the six continental championships appeared in the tournament, along with hosts Brazil and UEFA Euro 2012 runners-up Italy, who qualified because the Euro 2012 winners, Spain, had also won the most recent FIFA World Cup in 2010 thus securing a spot in the tournament.

This is a list of records and statistics of the FIFA Confederations Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003 FIFA Women's World Cup final</span> Final association football match of the 2003 FIFA Womens World Cup

The 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup final was an association football match which determined the winner of the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, contested by the women's national teams of the member associations of FIFA. It was played on October 12, 2003, and won by Germany, who defeated Sweden 2–1 in extra time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 FIFA Confederations Cup final</span> Football match

The 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup final was a football match to determine the winners of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. The match was held at the Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 30 June 2013 and was contested by the winners of the semi-finals, Brazil and Spain. Brazil defeated Spain 3–0 with goals from Fred and Neymar, thus breaking Spain's record of 29 competitive games without a defeat.

These are the statistics for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, an eight-team tournament running from 14 June 2009 through 28 June 2009. The tournament took place in South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">France at the FIFA World Cup</span> National football team in international competition

This is a record of France's results at the FIFA World Cup. France was one of the four European teams that participated at the inaugural World Cup in 1930 and have appeared in 16 FIFA World Cups, tied for the sixth most of any country. The national team is one of eight to have won the FIFA World Cup title and one of only six to have done so more than once.

The history of the Brazil national football team began with the team's first international match in 1914. Brazil played in the first FIFA World Cup in 1930. The Brazil national team has been successful throughout its history, winning the FIFA World Cup five times since 1958.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brazil–Italy football rivalry</span> Football rivalry between the national football teams of Brazil and Italy

The Brazil–Italy football rivalry, also known as the Clássico Mundial in Portuguese or the World Derby in English, is a football rivalry between the national football teams of Brazil and Italy, two of the most successful football nations in the world, having achieved nine World Cups between them. They have played against each other five times in the World Cup. Most notably, the 1970 World Cup Final and the 1994 World Cup Final in which Brazil won 4–1 in the former, and 3–2 on penalties after a goalless draw in the latter, as well as the semifinals of the 1938 World Cup and the final second group stage match of the 1982 World Cup won 3–2 by Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 FIFA Confederations Cup final</span> Football match

The 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup final was a football match to determine the winners of the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, the 10th and last edition of the FIFA Confederations Cup, a quadrennial international men's football tournament organised by FIFA. The match was held at the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on 2 July 2017, and was contested by the winners of the semi-finals, Chile and Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brazil–Uruguay football rivalry</span> International football rivalry

The Brazil–Uruguay football rivalry, also known as El Clásico del Río Negro, or Clássico do Rio Negro is a highly competitive sports rivalry between the Brazilian and Uruguayan national football teams, and their respective set of fans. Association football is the most popular sport in both countries and they have a combined 7 FIFA World Cups and 24 Copa Américas between them. Both countries also have a very close proximity and border each other, Uruguay only has a population of 3.5 million and has a size of 176,215 km2, while Brazil has a population of 210 million and a size of 8,515,767 km2, making it the 5th largest country in terms of both population and size.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Budweiser Man of the Match: Kaka (BRA)". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 28 June 2009. Archived from the original on July 1, 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
  2. "USA-Brazil preview". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original on 29 June 2009. Retrieved 27 June 2009.
  3. Montague, James (19 June 2013). "A Soccer Win for Tahiti? A Goal Would Be Terrific". The New York Times . p. B15. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  4. Stevenson, Jonathan (12 June 2009). "What is the Confederations Cup?". BBC Sport . Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  5. "USA national football team: record v Brazil". 11v11.com. Association of Football Statisticians . Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  6. Jones, Grahame L. (21 June 2009). "Road to South Africa may be hopeless cause for this U.S. team". Los Angeles Times . p. C4. Retrieved 22 June 2019 via Newspapers.com.
  7. Condie, Stuart (26 June 2009). "Brazil prevails, plays U.S. for championship". The Seattle Times . Associated Press. p. C2. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  8. "Old foes meet again". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 28 June 2009. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  9. "FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009 Qualifiers". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original on 31 July 2008. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  10. "Soccer: Tired Brazil does just enough". The New York Times. 27 June 2005. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  11. 1 2 3 Goff, Steven (25 June 2009). "U.S. Shocks No. 1 Spain in Confederations Cup". The Washington Post . p. C1. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  12. Jones, Grahame L. (23 November 2008). "U.S. men's team faces tough tests". Los Angeles Times. p. D4. Retrieved 22 June 2019 via Newspapers.com.
  13. 1 2 Ashenden, Mark (15 June 2009). "Brazil 4–3 Egypt". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  14. Ashdown, John (15 June 2009). "Egypt to protest as Webb awards Brazil winning penalty after TV replay". The Guardian . Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  15. Ashenden, Mark (15 June 2009). "USA 1–3 Italy". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  16. 1 2 Longman, Jeré (15 June 2009). "Rossi Helps Italy Kick U.S. While It's Down". The New York Times. p. B10. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  17. Jones, Grahame L. (16 June 2009). "A Jersey kid shines, but not for the U.S." Los Angeles Times. p. C8. Retrieved 22 June 2019 via Newspapers.com.
  18. Longman, Jeré (18 June 2009). "A Brazilian Buzzsaw Consumes the U.S." The New York Times. p. B11. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  19. Jones, Grahame L. (19 June 2009). "U.S. simply outclassed by Brazil". Los Angeles Times. p. C4. Retrieved 22 June 2019 via Newspapers.com.
  20. "Italy 0–3 Brazil". BBC Sport. 21 June 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  21. White, Duncan (21 June 2009). "Confederations Cup: Brazil and Kaka humiliate Italy". The Telegraph . Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  22. 1 2 3 Longman, Jeré (21 June 2009). "U.S. Advances in Confederations Cup". The New York Times. p. D1. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  23. Jones, Grahame L. (22 June 2009). "U.S. benefits from surprise turn of events". Los Angeles Times. p. C4. Retrieved 22 June 2019 via Newspapers.com.
  24. Longman, Jeré (22 June 2009). "After Fighting Out of Corner, U.S. Back in Ring at Confederations Cup". The New York Times. p. B11. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  25. Hawkey, Ian (14 June 2009). "Spain favourites for World Cup rehearsal" . The Times . Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  26. 1 2 Longman, Jeré (24 June 2009). "Americans Stun Spain and the Soccer World". The New York Times. p. B11. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  27. Vecesy, George (24 June 2009). "U.S. Victory Was a Miracle on Grass". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  28. Jones, Grahame L. (25 June 2009). "Americans ace big Spanish test". Los Angeles Times. p. C1. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  29. Sanghera, Mandeep (25 June 2009). "Brazil 1–0 South Africa". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  30. "Ellis Park". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original on 1 August 2008. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  31. Casert, Raf (13 June 2009). "Players face bumpy ride at Confed Cup opener". Mail & Guardian . Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  32. "World-class African line up for opening showpiece". South African Government News Agency. 9 June 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  33. "Unique African musical send-off for FIFA Confederations Cup 2009" (Press release). Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 28 June 2009. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  34. "Brazil crown fitting finale". Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 28 June 2009. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  35. "FIFA hands it to Hansson". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 27 June 2009. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  36. "FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009 Match Report: USA–Brazil 2:3 (2:0)" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 28 June 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 20, 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  37. Jones, Grahame L. (28 June 2009). "Brazil, in name only". Los Angeles Times. p. C6. Retrieved 22 June 2019 via Newspapers.com.
  38. 1 2 3 Smyth, Rob (28 June 2009). "USA 2-3 Brazil - as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  39. Dampf, Andrew (28 June 2009). "Upstart U.S. challenges mighty Brazil". The Tennessean . Associated Press. p. C2. Retrieved 22 June 2019 via Newspapers.com.
  40. "Fifa will stage memorial for Foe". BBC Sport. 22 June 2009. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
  41. Collett, Mike (28 June 2009). "Soccer: Foe remembered before Confederations Cup final". Reuters. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  42. 1 2 Bell, Jack (28 June 2009). "Match Tracking Confederations Cup Final: Brazil 3, U.S. 2". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  43. Dawkins, Phil (28 June 2009). "USA 2–3 Brazil". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  44. Longman, Jeré (28 June 2009). "U.S. Lets Confederations Cup Slip Away". The New York Times. p. D1. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  45. 1 2 Smith, Ben (1 July 2013). "Brazil 3–0 Spain". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  46. 1 2 "Top awards for Brazilian duo". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 28 June 2009. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  47. "Brazil's Kaka wins Golden Ball award". SportsNet. Associated Press. 12 September 2009. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  48. Fletcher, Paul (28 June 2010). "Brazil 3–0 Chile". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  49. Longman, Jeré (2 July 2010). "Brazil, a World Cup Favorite, Is Sent Home". The New York Times. p. D1. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  50. "Neymar dazzles as Brazil conquer". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 30 June 2013. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  51. "Most viewers for US soccer on ESPN outside WCup". Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. 30 June 2009. Archived from the original on 3 July 2009. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  52. Bell, Jack (3 July 2009). "Gold Cup: Quick Turnaround for the U.S." The New York Times. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  53. Jones, Grahame L. (3 July 2009). "U.S. gets a real man advantage". Los Angeles Times. p. C4. Retrieved 22 June 2019 via Newspapers.com.
  54. Wilner, Barry (27 July 2009). "Mexico snaps skid in U.S." Chicago Tribune . Associated Press. p. 5. Retrieved 22 June 2019 via Newspapers.com.
  55. Sheringham, Sam (23 June 2010). "USA 1–0 Algeria". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  56. Longman, Jeré (26 June 2010). "A Final Day of Chasing Ends the U.S. Run". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 June 2019.