Loading ...Aug 16 2008
Olympics: Unimpressive, Brazil Advances to the Semifinals
Their quarterfinal match-up with Cameroon saw Brazil continue their uninspired Olympics play, needing extra time to beat a team that was reduced to ten men early in the second half. The sending off came after Brazil midfielder Lucas Leiva seemed to simulate an injury, casting a black cloud over a match in which the referee brought out his cards thirteen times. After a scoreless ninety minutes, Brazil got goals from Rafael Sobis and Marcelo in extra time to put them through to a probable semifinal match-up with Argentina.
Brazil, my pre-tournament pick for gold, looks ripe for the picking, particularly sign Dunga has elected to drop Alexandre Pato from the starting XI while leaving Jô and Thiago Neves out of the lineup. Neves, who had two goals in Brazil’s final group match (his only start of the tournament), came on in the sixty-sixth minute, though Pato, Jô and Thiago Silva saw no time.
Brazil proved to have the easiest group - with Belgium, China, and New Zealand - and found a way to make some of those matches look close. In their first real competition, against one of the African sides that have been so impressive (all three, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria advancing), Brazil renders and inconclusive result thanks to the sending off.
The Brazilians have the talent to win this tournament, but like Argentina coming out of group A, they have yet to impress.
Links
Brazil sink battling Cameroon
Brazil sink Cameroon in niggly match
Brazil down Cameroon after extra time
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