European champion Spain the favorite in South Africa

Back for the first time since 2005, after FIFA had the good sense to scrap the biennial format, the eighth edition of the Confederations Cup (June 14-28) in South Africa figures to attract plenty of attention. It hasn't always been that way for a competition still lacking in relevance, but the field this time around should ensure at least the soccer is strong enough to keep things interesting.

The focus early on will be on Group B where four of the five best teams in the tournament reside. Italy and Brazil, who have already met in a friendly earlier this year, are joined by Egypt, winners of the past two African Cup of nations, and the United States.

Italy's post-2006 World Cup hangover probably lasted a bit longer than expected, but with coach Marcello Lippi back in the fold, and plenty of new faces, the Italians are ready to begin preparing in earnest to defend their World Cup crown. For Brazil boss Dunga, the Confederations Cup offers the latest opportunity to reshape the national team, and confound his critics, as he did by winning the Copa America back in 2007.

The task for Egypt and the United States is to prevent the two giants from waltzing through to the next round. The Americans will relish another shot at Italy, after the two countries played a memorable match (a 1-1 draw) in the group stage of the 2006 World Cup.

Not that second place in Group B is all that desirable, as it will almost certainly mean a date with Spain in the semifinals. Even with manager Vicente Del Bosque promising to rotate his squad heavily in the first three games, the European champions are expected to top Group A. Only South Africa, perhaps buoyed by the support of the home crowd, looks capable of offering any resistance.

Iraq and New Zealand round out the field, and neither is likely to make a run. Then again, no Confederations Cup champion has gone on to win the subsequent World Cup, so beware of a tournament with a habit of producing false leads.

Confederations Cup schedule

Sunday South Africa vs. Iraq Johannesburg, South Africa 9:55 a.m. ET, ESPN2, ESPN360 New Zealand vs. Spain Rustenburg, South Africa 2:25 p.m. ET, ESPN2, ESPN360 Monday Brazil vs. Egypt Mangaung/Bloemfontein, South Africa 9:55 a.m. ET, ESPN2, ESPN360 U.S. vs. Italy Tshwane/Pretoria, South Africa 2:25 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPN360 June 17 Spain vs. Iraq Mangaung/Bloemfontein, South Africa 9:55 a.m. ET, ESPN2, ESPN360 New Zealand vs. South Africa Rustenburg, South Africa 2:25 p.m. ET, ESPN2, ESPN360 June 18 U.S. vs. Brazil Tshwane/Pretoria, South Africa 9:55 a.m. ET, ESPN2, ESPN360 Egypt vs. Italy Johannesburg, South Africa 2:25 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPN360 June 20 Iraq vs. New Zealand Johannesburg, South Africa 9:55 a.m. ET, ESPN2, ESPN360 Spain vs. South Africa Mangaung/Bloemfontein, South Africa 2:25 p.m. ET, ESPN2, ESPN360 June 21 Italy vs. Brazil Tshwane/Pretoria, South Africa 2:25 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPN360 U.S. vs. Egypt Rustenberg, South Africa 2:25 p.m. ET, ESPN2, ESPN360 June 24 Semifinal A 2:25 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPN360 June 25 Semifinal B 2:25 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPN360 June 28 Third-place match 8:55 a.m. ET, ESPN2, ESPN360 Final 2:25 p.m. ET, ESPN2, ESPN360

Five stories to watch

1. In a league of its own. Spain is the clear favorite heading into the competition, no small feat when considering the presence of Italy and Brazil. But who could doubt La Furia's claim to being the best national side in the world? Unbeaten since 2006, and atop the FIFA rankings for close to a year, few countries have been so dominant at the international level.

They come to South Africa with a squad sparkling with talent and, more importantly, accustomed to winning, following the Euro triumph. The loss of Andres Iniesta to injury would be a devastating blow for most sides, but the Spanish midfield still features a few names of note, including Iniesta's Barcelona teammate Xavi Hernandez and Liverpool standout Xabi Alonso.

2. Lippi to unveil new Italy. The Azzurri will have a different look, as youngsters such as Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi and Fiorentina midfielder Ricardo Montolivo, so impressive in last summer's Olympic games, are poised to play a prominent role. Inter Milan defender Davide Santon is also one to keep an eye on, and there is a real feeling in Italy these players can push some of the World Cup winners out of the starting lineup.

Lippi stopped short of a massive revolution, leaving out Sampdoria hitman Giampaolo Pazzini and Lazio winger Pasquale Foggia. There is also no room for the enigmatic Antonio Cassano, who appears to have little chance of winning over the stern tactician. But the presence of some fresh blood is intriguing, as any kind of change in Italy is usually hard to come by.

3. Dunga doing it his way. What to make of this new Brazil? On paper, Dunga has posted some of the Selecao's most impressive results in years, including a 2-0 win over Italy at the Emirates back in February. But the manner in which the results have been achieved has subjected the young coach to intense criticism. Make no mistake, Brazil is now a defensive team, happy to absorb pressure and rely on the speed of Kaka and Robinho on the counter.

That such a strategy has paid off is largely down to two players. Inter Milan's Julio Cesar is the most in-form goalkeeper on the planet and has been virtually impenetrable of late, while Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano -- with 8 goals in his past 6 games for Brazil -- has made the most of limited service. Still, if Dunga is looking to curry any favor with a demanding public, he might want to find more time for AC Milan phenom Alexandre Pato.

4. Africans defending turf. This tournament will go a long way toward answering question about the hosts' ability to stage a successful World Cup, and should provide a clue as to what kind of impact playing on home soil will have on African sides next summer. Bafana boss Joel Santana stuck to his guns by not calling up petulant Blackburn star Benni McCarthy, but Santana will need to find another source for goals. Egyptian manager Hassan Shehata also made a bold move by leaving out Wigan striker Mido. Shehata will place his faith in Mohamed Zidan (Borussia Dortmund) with Amr Zaki (Wigan) ruled out injured, as the Pharaohs look to carry over their impressive continental record onto the global stage.

5. U.S. steps up in class. U.S. Soccer was blasted in certain quarters for sending a second-rate squad to the Copa America and prioritizing the Gold Cup two years ago. But the decision was rooted in a desire to participate in this tournament. Indeed, whenever the United States exits CONCACAF to take on superior opposition, it provides an interesting insight into how the Americans stack up.

Last summer, Bob Bradley's side played friendlies against England, Spain and Argentina, and failed to score in any of the three games, but showed well in the last two. The challenge for Bradley will be to coax better performances out of stars Clint Dempsey (Fulham) and Landon Donovan (L.A. Galaxy) -- who lately have found even CONCACAF defenses tough to crack -- and shore up a back line that was toasted in a recent qualifier at Costa Rica.

Five players to watch

1. Kaka, Brazil. All eyes will be on Kaka after the Brazilian completed a record-breaking $94 million move to Real Madrid. The 27-year-old is coming off a difficult season at AC Milan, and Dunga's tactics place an even greater burden on his shoulders, but Kaka will be motivated to impress his new employers. A showdown with Spain in the knockout stages would attract particular attention, as will the group game against Italy, when he will likely be hounded by former teammate Gennaro Gattuso.

2. Cesc Fabregas, Spain. Such is the quality at coach Vicente Del Bosque's disposal, Fabregas has struggled to crack Spain's first team. But Iniesta's absence affords the Arsenal playmaker a golden opportunity to stake his claim. The 22-year-old has been linked with several top clubs, including AC Milan as a replacement for Kaka, and the tournament is also a chance for Fabregas to showcase his skills after an injury-plagued campaign with the Gunners.

3. Giuseppe Rossi, Italy. Rossi has improbably emerged as the most exciting prospect in the Italian pool. A scintillating display in last weekend's friendly against Northern Ireland, punctuated by a sensational goal, cemented his place in the squad, and might even earn him a starting spot from the outset. And Italy's first game just happens to be against the United States, which the New Jersey native spurned in order to represent the Azzurri at the international level.

4. Mohamed Aboutrika, Egypt. Shehata's decision to drop Mido and the late loss of Zaki, places even greater pressure on playmaker Aboutrika, who's instrumental to the team's ability to counter attack. The 30-year-old midfielder has been dubbed by his fans as the Egyptian Zinedine Zidane for his technical skill and will need to be at his best for Egypt to advance out of the group stage.

5. Shane Smeltz, New Zealand. While New Zealand will be hard-pressed to make much of an impact this summer, the country does boast a prolific goal-scorer in Smeltz, who is capable of striking fear into any defense. The 27-year-old, who plays for Australian side Gold Coast United, has scored 12 goals in 19 games for New Zealand, and the Spanish back line will have its hands full in the opening game for both sides.

David Mosse is a soccer researcher for ESPN International, contributing to shows such as "Press Pass" and "Goles de Espana," as well as Champions League telecasts. He also blogs for ESPNsoccernet can be reached at mosse_david@yahoo.com.