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Wednesday marked the end of the Confederations Cup tournament and the B group matches. Mexico secured the first place by playing to a draw with Greece, while Brazil finished second after an intense and beautiful battle ending in a draw with Japan.
Japan 2 - 2 Brazil 10' [0 - 1] Robinho 27' [1 - 1] Shunsuke Nakamura 32' [1 - 2] Ronaldinho 88' [2 - 2] Masashi Oguro
These matches were a fight for the second ticket to the semi-finals, as Mexico had already secured one. Brazil needed just a draw, while Japan had to produce an upset to overcome their renowned opponents.
As early as the third minute, the Japanese surprised everyone by sending the ball into the net, but the goal was disallowed due to an offside call. However, their attacking style left them vulnerable, and in the 10th minute, Brazil counterattacked with Ronaldinho passing the ball to Robinho who scored.
Brazil increased their lead chances, but Japan equalized in the 27th minute with a great goal from Shunsuke Nakamura. The game continued to showcase beautiful attacking football, and Brazil regained the lead in the 32nd minute thanks to Ronaldinho.
Japan showed resilience and equalized again in the 88th minute, setting up Masashi Oguro for the crucial goal. With just two minutes left, Japan had a chance to snatch the victory in extra time, but Marcos saved Oguro's header, securing the draw for Brazil.
Greece 0 - 0 Mexico
Mexico needed only a draw to secure the top spot in the group, while Greece, practically out of contention for the last place, aimed for at least one point.
The match started with Mexico controlling the ball, but in the 8th minute, Greece almost scored with a header hitting the crossbar and a follow-up shot saved by the goalkeeper. The game swung back and forth until the end, with both teams unable to break the deadlock, leading to Mexico topping the group and facing Argentina in the semi-finals on Sunday.
