Brazil v. Ivory Coast 3-1 20/Jun/10

Second Round, Third Game, Group G, Day 10. (29 of 64)


Arsenal's tormentor again on the scoresheet.
[Photo: Getty Images via Daily Mail]


In the spectacular Soccer City, the Brazilians got another powerful yet not with an attractive performance against an empathic African team of Ivory Coast. Where in the previous game the Brazilians struggled during about thirty seconds to grab the lead, here they provided a strong statement in the form of Robinho. The City forward was absolutely brilliant in all plays and a large amount of this night's success is due to him. Whether this will raise some eyebrows in the other side, Sven Goran Eriksson might not be completely certain of grabbing a qualification spot since the Portuguese face the tricky side of North Korea tomorrow at Cape Town. Regarding the refereeing again we saw the failure of the staff at FIFA to point a decent authority on the pitch since Stephane Lannoy did not punish Luis Fabiano twice-handed ball in his second ball as well as sending off Kaká.

The following games are going to be probably the best-attractive in the paper and least-attractive in their group situation; Brazil, already in the last 16 will take Portugal in the highly anticipated game that will probably decide who are the best two of the group while the Koreans face the Africans in an attempt to snatch something. The games will tale place in Durban and Nelspruit respectively on the 25th.



Luis Fabiano scores the opener.
[Photo: AP via Daily Mail]


The match began with an unabashed frantic attack from the Brazilians as Robinho pursued and took a far chance for the target in the 1st minute; he had two players ready to strike at will. Reaching the early stages of the 13th minute they were too desperate already to score and kept any effort from the Ivorians at bay. Strangely with the tremendous amount of men Sven piled up in his own half, the Brazilians managed to move the ball around until the first clear chance came: Luis Fabiano, after a delightful play by Kaká, shot a cracker into the near post. The fierce shot was not a match for anyone as the Americans rose in the scoreboard.

With twenty minutes to play Dunga's men were on the prowl again, trying to find another weak spot to finish off the Africans. The hardwork of the Ivorian midfield resulted in a fierce battle in the last seven minutes of the half where both teams came from end to end to grab the last opportunity of the first part.



Elano follows suit.
[Photo: AP via Daily Mail]


Seven minutes after the beginning the Brazilians again took control of the game when Luis Fabiano completed his brace with a good but polemic individual play. The Sevilla striker controlled the ball with the hand then, flicked it over the defender to yet again controlled it with the arm and stroke past Barry. Just before the third Brazilian goal, Robinho and Kaká exploited all the space left by the Ivorian saga. A shot at point blank let Kaká on the fringe of scoring but it was Elano who took the third in quite a manner.

The City midfielder was released after Kaká dragged two defenders and crossed for him to take all the glory. It seem a rather easy enterprise that the scoreline was only with three goals of difference. The hope of the night came from Didier Drogba when he managed to pull one goal out of nowhere: the run made by Gervinho destabilised the defence and Lucio could not follow Yaya Touré who was trailing in the back. The Barcelona midfielder crossed and Drogba headed to give the slimmest of hopes. In the final minutes the French referee went mad and gave Kaká his second yellow after lightly pushing Keita in the chest. The overreaaction made Lannoy to send off the Madrid mastermind.