Confederations Cup 2013: Top 5 Players to watch out for in Italy vs Japan

Japan were put to the sword by Brazil in the opening game of the Confederations Cup 2013 and they will have no reprieve as they play Italy in their next group game. The Blue Samurai will have to step up their game by a few levels as they go against Cesare Prandelli’s side. Italy started the game without El Shaarawy and had to fight very hard against a determined Mexico side but Andrea Pirlo‘s magnificent free kick and Mario Balotelli‘s strike ensured that they did not drop any points. Italy will want to book their place in the semi-finals before they go on to meet their biggest challenge in the group against the Selecao, who look in hot form.

Italy boss Cesare Prandelli tried to play some mind games ahead of the contest by calling Japan slight favorites due to the fact that his compatriot Alberto Zaccheroni is in charge of the Asian side. He said that the extra day of rest that Japan enjoyed is an added advantage. The Blue Samurai coach, on the other hand, expressed disappointment with the efforts of his team against Brazil. He said, “We weren’t able to demonstrate our abilities against Brazil. We only showed about 50 per cent of what we can do.” He knows that bowing out with consecutive defeats at the competition will not be an accurate representation of the upcoming talent they have in the nation.

Here is a list of 5 players who will make a difference when Italy take on Japan.

Shinji Kagawa

The Manchester United forward looked out of his zone against Brazil. His positional awareness was missing and he seemed reluctant to get on the ball. He remained aloof and ineffective for most part of the game. His team is likely to have a better chance of getting some rhythm going against Italy and he will have to be on song. He must run the channels, show a better first touch and get into those goal scoring positions as he did for United in the last half of the season. Surely, the service won’t as good from the midfield but he must grab the occasional chances and half-chances that come his way if his team are to make a bid to progress in the competition.