Spanish chief: €100m for Bale ‘not immoral’

The president of the Spanish Football League (LFP) dismissed suggestions that Real Madrid’s pursuit of Gareth Bale — which could break the world record transfer fee — is immoral.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side are believed to be tabling a bid in the region of €100 million in order to tempt Tottenham into selling the Welsh forward, which would smash the current record of £80m (€92m), which Madrid paid Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo four years ago.

Talk of such a bid has attracted criticism in some circles in light of the economic crisis ravaging Spain, but LFP president Javier Tebas insists he has no problem with Madrid getting out their chequebook to bring the PFA Player of the year to La Liga.

He told reporters: “It is immoral to pay for something when you cannot afford it. I think it’s more immoral for a club to spend €1m which they do not have.

“€100m is a huge amount of money to spend on a player but if Madrid can afford that, then it’s not a question of morality, but of whether it’s a risky move or not.”

Tebas says Bale’s arrival would boost the profile of Spanish football.

“I don’t know much about him, but if Bale is a good player, than I’d rather he was over here (in La Liga) than in the Premier League,” he said.

“It’s not a question of how much he costs, you have to look at how much money he will generate, and if the LFP has all the stars, it will allow us to maintain high television revenue. All the money the arrival of this type of player generates translates into more revenue.”

Wales coach John Hartson is confident Bale would be able to cope with the burden of expectation if he joins Madrid.

“It wouldn’t be an issue for Gareth. He’s very level headed, his feet are firmly on the ground,” Hartson said.

“I get to see him close up, obviously, working with him with the Welsh national team.

“He comes along to the squad and he works like all the other players, he gets his head down.

“He’s got a great family. He doesn’t come with a big entourage. He’s got his agent, he’s got his advisers and he’s a really down-to-earth, level-headed lad and I think whatever Gareth does, I’m sure he would have thought long and hard about it.”

Earlier, Madrid captain Iker Casillas spoke of his admiration for Spurs’ talisman.

He said: “We are talking about one of the top three or four best players in Europe and it’s normal that his name is being discussed because he has all the qualities a footballer needs.

“Every transfer is controversial in its own way, for better or worse, but we are speaking about a very good, decisive player.

“I’m sure we’ll make another signing before the transfer window shuts.”

Casillas also gave his seal of approval to new Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, who took over from Jose Mourinho last month.

“I had the chance to meet Ancelotti during the summer holidays in Madrid and I’m excited about working with him,” said Casillas, who hopes the Italian can right the wrongs of last season’s trophyless campaign.

“I spoke to him for just five minutes and I came to the conclusion he is a winner. He makes that clear to you from the start.

“Whenever a new coach comes in, it’s a new challenge and I’m happy starting a new era. Madrid need to start winning games and trophies after last season and fight for all three competitions.”

Stuart Holden: Promising talent tormented by injury yet again

It was not long ago that Stuart Holden was believed to be a new ambassador of the United States to the English Premier League when he was purchased by Bolton Wanderers in 2010. However, since returning to England he has fallen victim to injury after injury, and despite his latest happening this past weekend on international duty for the United States, his career in England has seemed doomed since the start of his professional days in 2005.

Fresh out of a year of playing for Clemson University, Holden signed a deal with Sunderland in early 2005. His excitement over the deal was swiftly crushed when he was attacked outside of a local Wearside pub by Newcastle United fans in March of that year. The then 19-year-old suffered a fractured left eye socket which kept him out of training until May and was a grim welcome to the rivalry of the Northeast.

Shortly thereafter he was released and returned to the United States and was signed by the Houston Dynamo in 2006 at the height of their power in Major League Soccer. For the next four seasons 2006-09, Holden imposed himself as one of the best young talents in the league and was part of two MLS Cup Championships in 2006 and 2007 and was on the 2009 MLS Best XI team.

Having proven himself worthy of a potential return to what many believe is the most elite top flight in the world, Holden joined Bolton Wanderers in January of 2010. He would go on to help the club to a seventh place finish and the FA Cup semi-finals in 2010-11 making 30 appearances and scoring twice.

Unfortunately it was at the height of his career’s anticipation of prominence that disaster struck and his poor fate with injury in England came to call yet again. Holden entered a tackle against Manchester United defender Johnny Evans at Old Trafford and to the horror of many, Evans’ studs caught Holden in the right knee tearing a gash that would require nearly thirty stitches to repair and caused major trauma to the America’s anterior cruciate ligament.

A six month lay over saw him return to action in the fall of 2011 only to see another eight months of operations and treatments needed to repair further cartilage damage in his knee and would see him miss the entirety of 2011-12 but for his one match.

With the club relegated to the Championship, Holden again was schedule to make a return to the first team and started his first match in 16 months in early 2013 before being loaned to Sheffield Wednesday for the purpose of extending his match fitness.

Having fought his way back to health and promising form, a call to represent the United States in the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup was a dream return for the now 27-year-old. He made four appearances for the USMNT in their run to the final and scored once in the team’s 6-1 thrashing of Belize in the opening group stage.

However, shortly after the opening whistle of the final that would see the midfielder earn his first piece of international silverware, Holden was hit with yet another ACL injury and is facing another prolonged absence from the game.

It is an unfortunate way to see someone that has so much talent and has fought so hard to get back to where he has go out. The support of the entire fan base of the USMNT and Bolton Wanderers goes out to Holden in his latest moment of need and hope the best for him. Since learning of his latest set back Holden himself has refused to give up and tweeted this to all of his followers, "I will rise again! Big love and thx to all the Bolton Wanderers and US soccer supporters, we will conquer once more. Lets do this #noholdenback."

U.S. beat Panama to win CONCACAF Gold Cup

The United States capped off a dominant tournament with a 1-0 victory over Panama to capture the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Sunday.

Brek Shea broke through with the only goal of the game in the second half to give the United States their first Gold Cup title since 2007 and make up for back-to-back defeats to Mexico in the last two finals.

While they were thrilled with the result, the Americans hope it is also a springboard to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

"Hopefully this is just the beginning for a lot of us," Landon Donovan told reporters. "We want to be a part of the bigger picture. This is not the end."

The win was the 11th in a row for the United States and came without manager Juergen Klinsmann, who was serving a one-game suspension after being ejected in the semi-finals.

The United States had outscored their opponents 19-4 in their five games leading up to the final but Panama, who eliminated Mexico in the semi-final, proved a serious test for the home side at Soldier Field in Chicago.

The United States had much of the possession but were unable to make it count until the 69th minute when Donovan set up the game-winner for Shea.

Donovan, who was named the tournament's most outstanding player, has played his way back into Klinsmann's plans and finished the Gold Cup with five goals, to tie team mate Chris Wondolowski and Panama's Gabriel Torres.

U.S. midfielder Stuart Holden exited the match with a knee injury during the first half. Holden has a history of knee problems that includes multiple surgeries.

Panama's Jaime Penedo, who allowed just four goals in five games, was named the tournament's top goalkeeper for the second time.

"We were all hopeful, we all wanted to win," said Panama coach Julio Dely Valdes. "But we all go away feeling we gave it our all. I said I wanted to walk away from the Gold Cup feeling good, and I do." 

Liverpool tell Arsenal clock is ticking to sign Luis Suarez

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, while publicly keen to keep the player, does not want the saga rumbling on into the new campaign and further disrupting his pre-season plans.

It means Arsenal will have to significantly improve their offer of £40,000,001 for Suarez rejected by Liverpool earlier this week.

The Gunners are reluctant to go to £50m and are hoping Suarez will put in a transfer request and force the issue.

And Suarez is unhappy with Rodgers’ comments that he owes Liverpool some loyalty.

The Uruguay international feels he carried the team through much of last season and that is payment enough for the support the club have shown him during his past controversies.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will be boosted by reports in Spain claiming Real Madrid have cooled their interest in Suarez, which would give him a clear path to get his man.

Suarez has previously indicated he would prefer a move to the Spanish capital but Arsenal now appear to be his only escape route from Anfield.

Rodgers wants sufficient time to identify and sign a replacement for Suarez, who hit 30 goals in all competitions last season before his 10-game suspension for biting the arm of Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic.

The 26-year-old arrived in Bangkok with the rest of Liverpool’s squad last night despite speculation he had not travelled from Australia to Thailand for the final leg of the club’s pre-season tour. Preliminary talks between Suarez’s agent Pere Guardiola and Arsenal are believed to have already taken place over the terms of a contract.

Podolski: Arsenal can win the Premier League

Lukas Podolski insists Arsenal can end its eight-year trophy drought by winning the Premier League title this season.

The Gunners have not been crowned the best team in England since the 'Invincibles' season of 2003-04, while their last silverware came in the form of the 2005 FA Cup final triumph over Manchester United.

 But Podolski is confident Arsene Wenger's current side can end the club's drought, though he admits winning trophies in England is a lot harder than in other leagues around Europe. 

"It will not be easy," he told The Daily Mirror. "Everyone thinks it's easy to get a trophy. You have five or six teams who fight for first place. It's not like in Spain where it's just two teams and in Germany you just have Dortmund and Bayern.

"It's not easy in England. It's so competitive. At Arsenal we have good players, a great coach and great fans. If we can pull it together then I believe we can win the Premier League."

Podolski finished third in the club's goalscoring charts last season behind Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud, and is hoping to raise his performances for the new campaign.

"I will try to play better, score more goals and do some assists for Arsenal," he added. "It's very important that we qualify for the Champions League and fight for the championship.

"It was my first year and I'm very happy. We will see how much I can improve and whether I can get better."

Neymar to wear No. 11 at Barcelona

Neymar has been given the No. 11 shirt to wear in his debut Barcelona season.

The forward could potentially have taken the No. 7 following David Villa's move to Atletico Madrid, but the Brazilian is set to line up for the Catalans in Thiago Alcantara's old number following the midfielder's 20 million euro transfer to Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich.

The club made the jersey announcement in an unorthodox fashion, doing so via the loudspeakers in the official team store at Camp Nou. 

Neymar is accustomed to wearing the No. 11. Although he wore the No. 10 shirt during the FIFA Confederations Cup with Brazil, he has previously worn the No. 11 with the Selecao.

He also adorned a No. 11 jersey at Santos en route to scoring more than 100 league goals for the Brasileirao side.

Mourinho: I told Lampard to stay with Chelsea while still at Real Madrid

Jose Mourinho has revealed he was  told Frank Lampard to stay at Chelsea at the end of last season before returning to the club for a second spell in charge.

The 35-year-old England international had been linked with a move to the MLS throughout last season as questions over whether he would receive a new contract at Stamford Bridge were raised.

However, Lampard signed a new one-year deal following the club's Europa League success and Mourinho has says he played a big role in persuading the Blues' all-time top goalscorer to stay.

"At that time [last season] I was not in contact with the club," he told Sky Sports News. "I was only in contact with him as a friend because we kept contact all over these years.

"I was telling him, the way I know you - don't go to American soccer. You are a player who needs to compete every week at the highest level, you are a player that needs to be in real competition.

"If you go to the States, it's a fantastic country, football is coming up and you would be very important there. But if you go there you will not enjoy your life, and you have years to enjoy your life as a player.

"So my opinion was not to go but try and stay at Chelsea - if Chelsea doesn't want you then try and stay in the Premier League because you belong to high level competition. He was telling me in the Premier League he doesn't want to play in any other club."

Chelsea are currently touring the Far East and face Singha All-Stars, who beat Manchester United 1-0 on Sunday, in their first pre-season outing on Wednesday.

Krylya Sovetov Samara vs Spartak Moscow Preview

Probable Lineups

Missing Players

Team News

Krylya Sovetov Samara

• New signings Gia Grigalava and Ruslan Adzhindzhal are eligible to make their debuts for the club.
• Luis Nery Caballero is expected to start despite reports that Lazio are in negotiations for his transfer.
• Ibragim Tsallagov looks likely to start at left back, due to the injury of Bruno Teles.

Spartak Moscow

• Spartak Moscow head into the match without a number of first team players sidelined through injury.
• Ari is unlikely to feature prominently over the coming months due to a contractual dispute.
• Denis Glushakov and Tino Costa are expected to make their competitive debuts for the club.

Prediction

• Spartak Moscow have once again looked to add more quality to a flagging central midfield. Tino Costa and Denis Glushakov's arrivals could add greater creativity alongside the steel of Rafael Carioca, which would make Spartak a force to be reckoned with.
• Krylya Sovetov survived a relegation play off last season and it would appear as though the club's lack of investment this summer could see them suffering towards the rear of the table once again.
• Spartak's quality should be sufficient to take the three points, however the club's inconsistencies in recent times have meant that they can fall foul in matches they are expected to win.

Man Utd CEO: Rooney not for sale, but no extension in offing

Manchester United’s new chief executive Ed Woodward has revealed the club has no plans to sit down with Wayne Rooney, or any current player, over a new contract.

Rooney was sent home from the club’s tour of Asia this week with a hamstring problem, leading to renewed speculation over his future with the Premier League champions.

The England international still has two years remaining on his current deal at Old Trafford, and Woodward insists the club are in a position to let his deal near its end before offering a new one.

"Our No. 1 priority right now is to try to develop our transfer plans in terms of players in – not those going out, or talking about new contracts," Woodward said. "I am not sitting down with any player on an extension, and there is no trigger date in the diary.

"Would we be afraid to run a contract down? Of course not."

Rooney continues to be linked with summer moves to Arsenal, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, but United and new boss David Moyes are adamant that the 27-year-old star is not for sale.

"On Wayne Rooney it’s quite simple – he’s not for sale," Woodward said. "That won’t change even if anyone comes in for him, because he has two years left on his contract.

"I’m not surprised it’s being reported that clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal want him, because he’s a top player. But he’s not for sale and we won’t be selling him.

"He’s a brilliant player who is 52 goals away from being the club’s top goalscorer, beating one of the biggest legends in the game in [Sir] Bobby Charlton."

VIP fans eligible for refunds after Messi's exit

Fans who paid $2,500 for tickets to Lionel Messi's charity game last weekend will be eligible for refunds after the star soccer player failed to show for a promised meet-and-greet after the game.

The VIP package was to include the private session with the four-time world player of the year, on-field seating and signed memorabilia. But Messi exited the game in the 69th minute and left Soldier Field shortly after.

Numero 5, which organized the event, says the early exit wasn't Messi's fault, blaming Soldier Field security personnel. Still, the Miami-based promoter said in a statement Thursday it will reach out to any VIP package holders who didn't meet Messi ''in order to begin the process for making an appropriate refund.''

Chicago Fire owner Andrew Hauptman has already invited the VIP fans to the July 20 game against D.C. United. In addition to tickets for the game, Hauptman has promised a tour of Toyota Park.

The failed meet-and-greet wasn't the only problem with Messi's charity match. Fans were initially promised a roster of three dozen international stars, only to have most drop out before the game. Nine former Northwestern players had to fill out the rosters.

Why the 2013-14 Barclays Premier League season could be the best yet

This season of the Barclays Premier League has been somewhat of a let-down. Everyone expected a mammoth battle for the championship – with City looking to defend its maiden title, United looking to exact revenge on its noisy neighbours, and Chelsea buying a whole host of tremendously gifted players, it was all set to be a cliffhanger probably going down to the last game week. However, the viewers were in for major disappointment as City failed to recapture their previous form, Chelsea couldn’t wriggle out of its managerial woes and United comfortably won the title, whilst not playing to their highest potential.

With a new season comes new hope, and the next Premier League season could be potentially explosive and very tight at the top. The Fab Four – United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool – along with City and Spurs have been strengthening their squads over the past season(s), and with managerial changes for at least three of those five, one could expect a radically different outcome in the coming season.

1. Manchester United

United won the title fairly comfortably this season – a fitting end to the career of the best manager in the world, Sir Alex Ferguson, who has decided to retire at the end of this season. United were largely professional in the pursuit of their 20th title – while they showed flair at times, they merely grounded out victories the entire season and the ease with which they won can be attributed more to their competitor’s poor play rather than their good play.

I expect United to have a tough season next year as David Moyes will take time to adjust to his new surroundings, and the players will take time to adjust to his methods. While United have an excellent squad with a mixture of experience and youth, a managerial change could take time to work and since I predict that their competition will get stronger next season, United will have a very tough job on their hands if they are to retain their title.

2. Manchester City

I had difficulty in understanding some of City’s play this season – they would show such flair at times that it would seem that this City side is the best in Europe, and then they would have a horrific day – such as their recent FA Cup loss to Wigan or their 3-1 loss to Southampton. Add to that a terrible Champions League showing and a poor title defence, it wasn’t a surprise to hear that Roberto Mancini had been relieved of his duties as City manager.

Manchester City, along with Chelsea, have the best squads in Europe (bar Bayern Munich). With Manuel Pellegrini (currently manager of Malaga CF) being the favourite to take the City job this summer, I expect City to be a serious contender for the title next year, provided he doesn’t commit the blunders that his predecessor used to frequently. Some of Mancini’s substitutions were, for lack of a better word, strange and his managerial skills were probably the major reason for City’s poor season. City don’t even need to buy players, they just have to get the best out of what they have. However, I am sure that City will buy (and sell) and probably strengthen their squad further.

3. Chelsea

Chelsea have had a good season – they recently won the Europa League, making them the first EPL team to simultaneously hold the Champions League and Europa League titles. They are front-runners to finish third in the Premier League this season, guaranteeing Champions League football next year, and they reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup. However, with the players that they bought at the start of the season, they could have had an even better season had they had a stable manager.

With Jose Mourinho reportedly heading to Chelsea next season and with their high-profile buys (Eden Hazard and Oscar among others) finding their feet in the Premier League, Chelsea post the strongest threat to the Premier League title next year. Mourinho has an excellent track record managing Chelsea and I expect him to get the most out of these Chelsea players. Like City, Chelsea also do not need to buy players, with the possible exception of a striker.

4. Arsenal

Arsenal are close to doing what Arsenal do best – play in the Champions League. A win over Newcastle on the final day of the season would see them do just that, but Arsenal fans seem to be wanting more from Wenger than just Champions League football. An 8-year trophy drought couldn’t be overturned this year, although Arsenal did show glimpses of the ‘beautiful’ football their fans pride themselves over.

Unlike City and Chelsea, Arsenal need to buy players. With transfer rumours linked to Arsenal already gathering strength, this may finally be the season Arsene Wenger decides to spend big in the transfer market. If he does that, Arsenal could face an upturn in fortunes; if he doesn’t, they’ll, sadly, remain where they are. I cannot see this Arsenal squad winning the Premier League next season, and Wenger needs to buy good players (at least a striker better than Giroud) to have a chance. However, if he does spend big and get in world-class players, Arsenal will pose a threat to the title.

5. Liverpool

Liverpool have had an average season by their standards – granted the team was in a phase of changes with new signings and their new manager settling in, but they should have done better than finish 7th in the table. A shock loss to Oldham in the FA Cup coupled with a 4th round loss to Rodgers’ old team Swansea City in the League Cup just isn’t good enough.

The addition of Daniel Sturridge in the winter transfer window was a blessing to their cause and in the absence of Luis Suarez, Sturridge has scored goals for fun and has been the driving factor in Liverpool’s good second-half to the season. With Philippe Coutinho looking very impressive and Stewart Downing having his best season in a Liverpool shirt this season, Liverpool look set to challenge for a Champions League spot next year. Winning the title may be a bit beyond them, but certainly they can challenge for the top four next year. Their transfer market activity will be interesting to note.

6. Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs had a very strong start to the season and were third for a brief period in December. However, their Champions League dream might still be left unfulfilled if Arsenal beat Newcastle on the final day of the season, which they look more than likely to do. Some of their players shined this season – with Gareth Bale being the obvious candidate. This was also a season where Jan Vertonghen and Kyle Walker performed excellently for Spurs.

If Spurs finish fifth this season and fail to obtain Champions League football again, their next season will hinge entirely on whether they are able to hold on to Gareth Bale in the summer transfer window. If Bale does want to leave, you can’t blame him – he is too talented to not have the chance to play Champions League football. If, however, they do manage to keep him, Spurs have to sign other world-class players, most notably a striker. Bale isn’t a natural striker and Defoe and Adebayor have had average seasons this year. If all of this happens, they could finally obtain a Champions League spot next season.

Messi: Barcelona is ideal for Neymar

Lionel Messi says Barcelona is the "ideal club" for new striker Neymar.

The 57 million euro signing from Santos lit up June's Confederations Cup with an array of stunning performances, including a venomous left-footed drive for Brazil in a 3-0 final win against Spain.

Many have questioned whether or not the 21-year-old will be able to play alongside Messi but the Argentine himself insists Barcelona can help nurture Neymar's development.

"I have the good fortune to play with many world champions and Neymar is another great player who has joined the club. It's very nice to play with great players and I think this is the ideal club for him," he told El Mundo Deportivo.

The Blaugrana romped to Liga success last season but suffered the ignominy of losing 7-0 on aggregate to eventual winners Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinal and Messi says the target this year is to collect more silverware.

"The goal is to get all the titles with Barca," he added. Every year we prepare for that and we also want to have a good preseason."

Zico revealed he believes Messi is the greatest player never to have lifted a World Cup and the four-time Ballon d'Or winner appreciated the Brazil legend's comments.

"I appreciate those words of Zico," he continued. "I always try to perform to the highest level and get all the titles. Obviously the World Cup is a dream of mine, my teammates and the entire country.

"But it's not only the World Cup that I want to play in, it's all competitions. I always want to play every game with the same desire.  It's too far away to think about the World Cup just now with it being a year away."

Colorado Rapids 2-0 New York Red Bulls: Deshorn Brown leads rookies with five goals

The Colorado Rapids took a 2-0 win over the New York Red Bulls on Thursday. 

A few minutes after halftime, the Red Bulls failed to clear a Rapids corner. Edson Buddle snapped a one-time shot that bounced off teammate Nathan Sturgis. The ball fell to Drew Moor, who took another quick shot on goal. Markus Holgersson cleared off the line. On the third attempt, Sturgis finally managed to find netting.

Twenty minutes later, the host doubled the lead. Chris Klute stripped the ball at the top of the opposition box and drilled a low ball across the goalmouth. Deshorn Brown turned it in at the far post. The 22-year-old leads MLS rookies this year with five goals.

The Red Bulls, despite losing three of the past four MLS matches, stay second in the East.

Colorado Rapids vs New York Red Bulls Preview

Probable Lineups

Missing Players

Team News

Colorado Rapids

• Head coach Oscar Pareja is expected to revert to his usual front three of Deshorn Brown, Edson Buddle and Atiba Harris despite the 4-2-3-1 system working against Montreal.
• The Rapids are the only MLS side not affected by the upcoming Gold Cup campaign, with no players called up to their respective national teams.

New York Red Bulls

• Roy Miller has joined up with the Costa Rican national team for the upcoming Gold Cup campaign, with Lloyd Sam suspended following his red card at Philadelphia two weeks ago.
• Fabian Espindola looks likely to keep his place up front alongside Thierry Henry after scoring in the 2-0 win over the Houston Dynamo.

Prediction

• Saturday's 4-3 comeback win at MLS table-toppers Montreal Impact came as something of a surprise considering the Colorado Rapids patchy run of form coming into the game. Oscar Pareja will now be looking to build on that momentum against the New York Red Bulls.
• The New York Red Bulls climbed back up to second place in the Eastern Conference with Sunday's 2-0 win over the Houston Dynamo, ending a three game streak without a win. Mike Petke's side will be looking to build a good run of form ahead of the play-off season.
• With both sides coming into this game on the back of confidence-boosting victories the result could go either way, although the New York Red Bulls do hold the edge in terms of quality.

Confederations Cup 2013 Final: Areas Spain Must Improve Before 2014 World Cup

The 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup should serve as some added motivation for Spain until they play in Brazil next for the 2014 World Cup. 

Spain will be able to rest easy knowing that this isn't the most important tournament in Brazil over the next few years. They'll be right back next summer, looking to defend their World Cup title and continue staking their claim as one of the all-time great teams.

So, with a year left for Spain to prepare for the World Cup, where do they go from here as far as improvements?

Speed on Defense

The Spanish national team seemed destined for more international glory throughout this whole tournament, and they looked ready to stifle Brazil's menacing attack in the final between two world-class sides. 

However, Brazil had other ideas. They attacked as usual, not letting up as Spain continued to look more and more tired.

Fred, like he has done five total times in the tournament, put home a loose ball in the box to give Brazil an early lead that the host country would never relinquish. Neymar looked unstoppable across the entire pitch, as Spain's efforts to quell him resulted in a red card from Gerard Pique, one of the team's leaders and the staple of their defense.

It looked as if every time Brazil made a run for an offensive attack, they were twice as fast as Spain's defenders. Obviously, much of that must have been due to Spain's tired legs from a 120-minute match against Italy days prior, but it was still noticeable and played out as a big factor.

Spain have players on defense like Jordi Alba, Alvaro Arbeloa and Sergio Ramos who can keep up with anybody speed-wise. But if they don't play like it, teams as talented as Brazil will carve them up.

Takeover Ability From Attackers

Fernando Torres gets much of the blame, but Spain's inability to score goals at times comes from the lack of a second gear from their attackers up top.

Sure, Spain can lull you to sleep with their immense passing abilities and might be able to keep the ball away from you for minutes at a time. But too often, that results in an offense becoming stagnant and that's just what Spain have suffered from.

When Torres (or Pedro, or Juan Mata) isn't completing his runs and getting open out front, Spain's offensive efforts are pushed to the outside. They are sometimes able to have success out there, but that ends up relying on the strikers again to get their heads on crosses or finish plays in the box.

We saw plenty of this from Spain in the Confederations Cup, but it wasn't there at all against Brazil. They looked like a shell of themselves from start to finish. You could never really tell which player wanted the moment, or if any of them did.

If Spain is truly the best team of this generation, they have to figure out how to play with resiliency. They can't always rely on controlling the match, because against a team like Brazil's, you can get scored on in the blink of an eye.

Consistency With Starting XI

It's hard to argue that any other country produces more footballing talent than Spain, but that can sometimes turn into a distraction in and of itself. Perhaps that is some of the issue in their inefficiency from forwards.

Who's starting up top for Spain? Is the starting striker spot Fernando Torres' to lose now, or is the fact that he scored only one goal other than his four against Tahiti going to keep him in the dog house again?

Will Juan Mata be a perennial starter from here on out, and if so, where? His selection on the left side has taken playing time away from David Silva, who has been so huge for Spain in recent international affairs.

Is Cesc Fabregas going to be used sparingly in the midfield, or will he emerge by next summer? What about Jesus Navas, has he shown enough to prove worthy of a regular substitute spot next summer?

It certainly helps that you have players like Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Sergio Ramos, who are almost guaranteed a starting spot, when it comes to fielding a consistent team.

But with so many world-class players and so few spots, head coach Vincente del Bosque will have his hands full in deciding who to take on his roster for the 2014 World Cup. 

Brazil 3-0 Spain

Fred and Neymar handed Brazil the Confederations Cup title

Fred scored twice as hosts Brazil won the Confederations Cup for the third time in a row with a hugely impressive win over favourites Spain in Rio de Janeiro.

The Fluminense striker struck early in each half, the first a scrappy affair and the second a neat curled finish.

Neymar fired home another just before half-time while Spain did not help themselves, with Sergio Ramos missing a penalty before fellow centre-back Gerard Pique was sent off.

Brazil gave a raucous Maracana crowd a dream start as with just over a minute on the clock, Fred showed superb presence of mind as in trying to meet Hulk's cross he was buffeted by two defenders.

The ball rebounded off Neymar and Spain full-back Alvaro Arbeloa and, flat on his face, Fred managed to improvise and poke the ball past Iker Casillas.

Spain's goalkeeper was almost caught out by Paulinho's 13th-minute lob, backpedalling to palm the ball off the line before falling gratefully on the loose ball. Arbeloa was then booked for a cynical pull on Neymar. The Barcelona new boy would have had a clear run on goal, sparking Brazilian claims for a red card despite the challenge taking place in the centre circle.

That sparked the second flashpoint of the early exchanges, with players from both teams having earlier squared off after Fernando Torres' foul on Marcelo. Brazil custodian Julio Cesar tipped Andres Iniesta's long-range curler away from goal, Torres heading the resulting corner just wide of the near post.

Ramos was booked for hauling down Oscar on the edge of the box, with Hulk blazing wide from the free-kick, while Fred spurned a glorious chance when teed up by Neymar.

David Luiz saved Brazil with a remarkable sliding goal-line clearance after a fluent Spanish break ended with Pedro curling the ball past Cesar. It was a timely intervention as Neymar doubled Brazil's lead a minute before half-time, hammering the ball inside Casillas' near post after exchanging passes with Oscar on the edge of the box.

Cesar Azpilicueta replaced the hapless Arbeloa at half-time but Brazil quickly extended their advantage. Hulk and Neymar set up Fred to curl the ball inside the far post despite Casillas getting his fingers to the shot.

Hulk could have added his name to the scoresheet but Casillas charged out of his area to block the powerful frontman's lob.

Ramos' header was saved but the Real Madrid defender was to spurn a better chance to get his side back into the game. Marcelo fouled substitute Jesus Navas in the box but Ramos drilled the penalty wide of the left-hand post.

David Villa replaced Torres before Navas had a shot deflected wide, Gerard Pique heading the resulting corner straight at Cesar.

Marcelo blazed into the side-netting for Brazil before apologising fulsomely to Fred, who was waiting in the six-yard box to be presented with a certain hat-trick. Casillas again had to come off limits to foil Hulk while a sliding Villa was unable to meet Pedro's dangerous cross-shot at the other end.

Things got even worse for Spain when Pique was shown a straight red card for chopping down his new club-mate Neymar, who curled the free-kick just over.

Ramos shot wide again before resuming his defensive duties to block Fred's shot. Neymar was then crowded out when unable to pass the ball with Fred yards offside. The latter's hat-trick hopes disappeared in that moment as he was swiftly replaced by Jo.

Cesar made a superb reflex save from Pedro's powerful effort and Ramos, strangely Spain's primary attacking threat, headed Xavi's corner well wide.

Villa drew another good diving save from Cesar but Brazil were otherwise able to play out the closing stages with no alarms.