A goal either side of the break from Luis Fabiano set Brazil on their way to a 3-1 victory over the Ivory Coast, but despite six points on the board, the game was marred for Brazil by a late red card for Kaka.
The match should have seen the Samba Boys finally stretch their legs and, at 3-0 up, show the flair and exhilarating football for which the country is traditionally famed.
Instead, Dunga's side became embroiled in petty squabbles with a beaten side. The ultimate result being Kaka's dismissal which means he will miss the final group game against Portugal.
A shame Kaka's night ended in such circumstances, as it was his moment of magic which prised open the stubborn Ivorian defence. Of late, the Real Madrid man has struggled to show the touch that once made him world player the year.
But, in the 25th minute he gave 84,455 people in Soccer City deja vu. Pouncing on a slightly mis-controlled first touch, before slipping a sublime ball through Tiene and Kolo Toure. Luis Fabiano raced behind the Jabulani and blasted his 9 game goal drought into the roof of the net from a tight angle.
The Sevilla striker's second will be remembered in more infamy as, replays show, after capitalising on confusion caused by a high ball. He controlled with the top of his arm before volleying home. The referee even appeared to ask him politely on the way back to the restart, tapping his arm as Fabiano swore his innocence. Just why would the referee not blow his whistle if he thought a handball had occurred?
That aside, Kaka looked like he might just be ready to grab this World Cup by the scruff of the neck. Terrorising Toure again before pulling back from the byline with his left foot into the path of Elano whose finish in the 62nd minute was once again flawless.
The African side's discipline fell by the wayside. Elano, after being caught badly by Cheik Tiote, limped down the tunnel shortly after his goal. Kader Keita rammed into Felipe Melo and Dunga was becoming increasingly apoplectic as Les Elephantes ploughed into his players with little or no censure.
Sven Goran Eriksson's charges provided little in the way of attacking threat. A speculative long range attempt, from substitute Romaric, the best they could muster in the second half. Until, Yaya Toure picked out Didier Drogba, who made the hitherto watertight Brazilian rearguard look statuesque while he placed a pin point header into Julio Cesars bottom corner in the 79th minute.
After Fabiano's second, Brazil looked capable of scoring four or five. But the failure of referee Stephane Lannoy, to control the game meant that it descended into farce as he booked Kaka twice in a matter of minutes for incidents he did not see.
The critical scene coming from Keita, who, after running into Brazil's number ten, collapsed holding his face after feeling an elbow, (with little or no force) connect with his abdomen.
Brazil: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Juan, Bastos, Melo, Elano, Silva, Kaka, Luis Fabiano, Robinho
Ivory Coast: Barry, Demel, Zokora K Toure, Tiene, Eboue, Tiote, Y Toure, Kalou, Drogba, Dindane
Referee: S Lannoy (FRA)
No comments:
Post a Comment