The sun had dipped below the horizon three hours prior in Johannesburg, and cool clear skies greeted the soccer players as they took to the pitch in Ellis Park. With a slight breeze in the air dipping the temperature below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, the championship match of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was ready to kick off on this South African winter evening. The underdog Americans looked comfortable in the conditions, coming out in short sleeves ready to fight for every inch in their first international tournament final. The Brazilians, winners of a record five World Cups and consistently dominant team in tournaments big and small, came out in a variety of gloves, sleeves and even a neck-warmer here and there....

The stage was set for a spectacular finale in Johannesburg. Click through here to read this special report from A Non-Traditional Sports Fan in America courtesy of Informative Sports!

Bigalke is a freelance journalist who has been writing for FanNation since December 2007. An archive of Bigalke's writing can be found here. He is also the managing editor of Informative Sports and a contributing writer at Helium. Got something to say to Bigalke -- questions, comments, suggestions, derision to sling, vengeance to exact, commendations to render, or contracts to offer? You can reach Bigalke through FanMail, the comments box below or here...