Historically speaking, the Confederations Cup has served as a great way for some nations to test the depths of their squad the year before the kick-off of the World Cup. In the 2017 version of the tournament, it has been Germany who have adopted this tactic, bringing with them to Russia a rather makeshift squad of players, most of whom would be relegated to the bench if the main starters were present.
That Germany have made it to the semi-final is a sign that they are a team loaded with talent, and that they are going to, once again, be a force to be reckoned with when they head back to Russia for the World Cup next summer.
While Germany are certainly in this to win it, the fact that they brought a secondary squad is a sure sign that they do not deem a win here to be a top priority. The same cannot be said for Mexico, as their fans and their soccer federation almost demand that they come home with the trophy wherever they go to play.
As such, the Mexico side is stacked, but they have not had as smooth a path to this semi-final as the Germans have. Perhaps it is that little bit of added pressure that Mexico has that made them look so uptight at times in the group stage.
The pressure goes up a notch now that we are down to the final four, and it will be the team that handles it better who will move on to face either Chile or Portugal in the final. The casual fan may want to see the world champions go head to head with the European Champions for the cup, but is that what we are going to get?
Sports & Betting Topics
Latest News, Tips & Expert Picks
- 2021 Spanish Super Cup Final Expert Analysis
- Top Bundesliga Games Expert Analysis for Matchday 16
- Early 2020-21 LaLiga Championship Odds Analysis
- Top Premier League Games Expert Analysis for Matchday 19
- Top Serie A Games Expert Analysis for Matchday 18
- Top LaLiga Matches Expert Analysis for Matchday 18
- Top Bundesliga Games Expert Analysis for Matchday 15
- Early 2020-21 Premier League Championship Odds Analysis
- Top Serie A Games Expert Analysis for Matchday 17
- Top LaLiga Matches Expert Analysis for Matchday 17
- Top Premier League Games Expert Analysis for Matchday 17
- Top Serie A Games Expert Analysis for Matchday 15
- Top Premier League Games Expert Analysis for Matchday 15
- Top Serie A Games Expert Analysis for Matchday 14
- Top LaLiga Matches Expert Analysis for Matchday 15