RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Tahiti coach Eddy Etaeta said it would be “quite impossible” for his team to beat world champions Spain on Thursday but even if Spain scored 20 goals, he would be happy if Tahiti grabbed one.

“We must be highly realistic and it is impossible for us to beat Spain, quite impossible. They are the European and the world champions and the favourites to win this Confederations Cup tournament.

RIO DE JANEIRO, June 20 (Reuters) – Tahiti coach Eddy Etaeta said it would be “quite impossible” for his team to beat world champions Spain on Thursday but even if Spain scored 20 goals, he would be happy if Tahiti grabbed one.

“We must be highly realistic and it is impossible for us to beat Spain, quite impossible. They are the European and the world champions and the favourites to win this Confederations Cup tournament.

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – World champions Spain will field a second-string side against Oceania champions Tahiti in the Confederations Cup on Thursday but are unlikely to show any mercy in what is expected to be a one-sided carnival of football at the Maracana stadium.

One of the more unlikely competitive matches in any major FIFA competition pits the amateurs from the South Pacific against a team that has won two European titles and the World Cup in the last five years and earned comparisons with the great Brazil side of 1970 widely regarded as the best team in history.

RIO DE JANEIRO, June 19 (Reuters) – World champions Spain will field a second-string side against Oceania champions Tahiti in the Confederations Cup on Thursday but are unlikely to show any mercy in what is expected to be a one-sided carnival of soccer at the Maracana stadium.

One of the more unlikely competitive matches in any major FIFA competition pits the amateurs from the South Pacific against a team that has won two European titles and the World Cup in the last five years and earned comparisons with the great Brazil side of 1970 widely regarded as the best team in history.

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – The Brazilian government has not lost control of the streets, the deputy minister of communications said on Wednesday as unrest in the country continued to overshadow the Confederations Cup.

Thousands of protestors are expected to march the three kilometres from Rio’s City Hall towards the Maracana Stadium on Thursday when world champions Spain play Tahiti in the eight-team tournament, a test event for the 2014 World Cup.

RIO DE JANEIRO, June 19 (Reuters) – The Brazilian government has not lost control of the streets, the deputy minister of communications said on Wednesday as unrest in the country continued to overshadow the Confederations Cup.

Thousands of protestors are expected to march the three kilometres from Rio’s City Hall towards the Maracana Stadium on Thursday when world champions Spain play Tahiti in the eight-team tournament, a test event for the 2014 World Cup.

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil, June 17 (Reuters) – Tahiti coach Eddy Etaeta embraced some of the old Olympic spirit of just taking part after his side made their debut in a major international tournament with a 6-1 loss to Nigeria at the Confederations Cup on Monday.

There was never much doubt the African champions would beat the South Pacific amateurs who qualified as Oceania champions and did their confederation proud by playing well, scoring a goal and winning the hearts of the Brazilian crowd.

BELO HORIZONTE (Reuters) – Tahiti suffered a 6-1 thrashing by Nigeria in the Confederations Cup on Monday although the amateurs did find the net as Jonathan Tehau scored at both ends when they made their debut in a major tournament.

Tehau, a delivery driver back home, became the first player to score for both teams in a Confederations Cup match having headed in for the Oceania champions after 54 minutes before finding his own net 15 minutes later in the Group B match.

BELO HORIZONTE, June 17 (Reuters) – Nigeria pounced on some early mistakes on the way to a 6-1 Confederations Cup win over amateurs Tahiti, who claimed a moral victory by scoring on their debut in a major international tournament on Monday

Oceania champions Tahiti, with only one professional player in their squad, suffered a terrible start in Group B when the ball hit the referee and ran to Nigeria’s Uwa Echiejile who scored in the fifth minute with a twice deflected shot.

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (Reuters) – The professionals of Nigeria, Spain and Uruguay have probably never played against an opponent who earns his living climbing coconut trees and mountains but when they take on Tahiti that is exactly what they will be up against.

Nigeria, the champions of Africa, Spain, champions of Europe and the world and South American champions Uruguay will take on defender Teheivarii Ludivion and his fellow Tahiti amateurs in Group B at the Confederations Cup in Brazil.