Vintage Brazil, biteless Italy
South America's World Cup kept getting better, Africa's miseries were compounded, and another shock result established upsets as the norm in the first round of this World Cup. On Sunday, six-times world champions Brazil turned in a vintage performance to brush aside Ivory Coast 3-1 in their group H encounter, while in group F Paraguay made easy work of meek Slovakia in a 2-0 victory, but the biggest result came when the reigning champions Italy failed to break the wall of New Zealand in their entertaining 1-1 draw.
On Sunday night in Johannesburg, Dunga's men turned in glimpses of champagne football as if to reassure that the Joga Bonito is still very much alive and they can produce it at will if they have the luxury.
There was Joga Bonito written all over the first and the third goal while the second one was a fortunate one, albeit skillfully done. Kaka's return to some semblance of form was a relief for Dunga, but his un-edifying sending off did not go down well with the coach.
It was expected that the Ivorians would not pose as stiff a challenge as the North Koreans due to their attacking style of play, and it turned out to be so as Sven Goran Eriksson fielded an attacking formation of 4-3-3, leaving their defense unguarded often enough for pacy Robinho, Kaka and Fabiano to take full advantage of.
Frustration crept in their play as they tried to stamp their physical authority on the Brazilians causing Elano to suffer a horrible injury and inciting madness from Kaka to get himself sent off.
Introduction of Gervinho at the later stage managed to increase the attacking prowess of the Elephants which produced a consolation goal for Drogba, who was otherwise invisible for the ninety minutes.
Having confirmed second round with a match to play, Dunga will have his playmaker Kaka and hopefully Elano too back in the side in time for the second round match.
Dunga's Brazil have already won the Copa America and the Confederations Cup last year, and on the evidence of Sunday night's play, they look like having it in them to take a sixth World cup crown.
To whom the crown currently belongs to, are in jeopardy of having to relinquish it very early in the tournament, after another futile albeit entertaining performance against tiny New Zealand.
The Azzurris have not won a single game so far in 2010, and one wonders where that win would come from. In both the games they played, they had to come from behind after conceding early goals from set pieces. The Italians who were expected to be good in defending set-pieces gifted two easy goals to the opposition, courtesy of weary legs at the back. And it was only good fortune that they managed to equalise in both games, against Paraguay it was a mistake from the goalkeeper and on Sunday it was a lucky penalty that saved their blushes.
On Sunday's match, the tall and stocky New Zealanders used their physical advantage to cancel out any threat from aerial ball played inside their penalty box. Even when the last line of defence was breached goalkeeper produced the heroics to deny the world champions any success. Italians might have done better had they tried to unlock the defence taking the ball through dribbles or threading balls but they hardly have the quality of Robinho or Kaka to do so. Andrea Pirlo's absence makes their case only harder.
Italy enjoyed 72 percent of possession, earned 15 corners against zero to the kiwis, and had five shots on target to only one from their opponents, yet there was only despair at the end of ninety minutes.
Adventurous Paraguay's 2-0 win over an insipid Slovakia puts them in pole position to become group champions and avoid Netherlands in the second round.
Comments