Say What You Want, Brazil Still Wins

JOHANNESBURG -- We're going to have to get used to this Brazilian national team, because it very well may win the World Cup on July 11. If it does so, it won't be in a style that echoes its famous predecessors. Far from it. At times Dunga's Brazil is downright difficult to watch.

But they are also very, very hard to beat, as it demonstrated in Monday's 3-0 win over Chile in a round-of-16 match at Johannesburg's Ellis Park. That really is the bottom line for the no-nonsense coach who captained the 1994 Cup-winning squad. It starts with an air-tight defense marshaled by the incomparable Lucio, a solid and athletic midfield, and the confidence that at some point over a given 90 minutes, or likely several points, somebody will make a play.

Dunga, nevertheless, defended his team's place in Brazilian soccer history prior to the game, telling reporters that, "When they show highlights from 1970, all you see are the good parts. Nobody repeats 1966 because Brazil didn't do well. From 1958 they just show the good parts and from 1962 they also just show the good parts. If we take the current Brazilian team and just show the best bits, fans will think it's a spectacular team. But today they show as many negative moments as good ones."

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In Monday's match there were more negative moments then good ones, but the good ones were very good, and Brazil worked its formula to perfection. It strangled the Chilean attack and benefited from impressive pieces of individual skill on the counter. This Brazil squad does not score goals through intricate and elegant buildups. Instead, it pounces with ruthless efficiency.

A miserable opening half hour, it looked like Chile might have a chance. Brazil played as if they'd just woken from a collective nap. There was next to no movement off the ball, Kaka was practically invisible, and what little attack there was ran through Barcelona's Dani Alves, who was playing more centrally than he does with the Spanish champions. A Chilean defense missing two starters through suspension looked like world beaters.



Share And then they were trailing 2-0. It turns out Brazil wasn't in a rush. The first goal came in the 34th minute from a corner kick earned by right back Maicon, who had overlapped onto a low pass from midfielder Ramires, who plays for Lisbon power Benfica. Ramires had played just 15 minutes in the first round and was replacing the injured Elano. Maicon took the corner and placed it perfectly for Juan. The AS Roma defender rose and headed the ball just underneath the crossbar.

Four minutes later Brazil scored again. Another quick counter gave Robinho space on the left. He hit a square pass to Kaka, who sprung Luis Fabiano with one touch toward goal. Someone from Brazil had finally made a hard run off the ball, and it paid dividends. The Sevilla star easily rounded Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and tallied his third goal of the tournament.

Chile could offer nothing in response. The energetic Jean Beausejour, so effective in the first round, was silenced. Striker Humberto Suazo, who led all scorers in South America's marathon qualifying tournament with 10 goals but had played just one half in the first three games with a hamstring injury, was rubbed out of the game.

Brazil, as they have throughout the tournament, relaxed a bit toward the end and let Chile a sniff or two of the goal, but by then the matter had been decided. Robinho and Ramires put the finishing touches on the rout in the 59th minute. Ramires embarked on a fast, weaving run from his position in deep central midfield, running through several Chileans, before slipping the ball to the high-priced Real Madrid and Manchester City bust at the edge of the penalty area. Now back with Brazil's Santos, Pele's former club, Robinho scored his first World Cup goal with a perfect first-time shot that curled inside the right post.

The game opened up considerably after that, but neither team was able to convert.

It was a disappointing end for Chile, but a strong Cup run

For Chile, this was an impressive World Cup. La Roja hadn't won a game at the finals since 1962 but defeated Honduras and Switzerland here in South Africa. Unfortunately, despite playing some impressively ambitious soccer, subsequent matchups against Spain and Brazil were more than Chile could handle.

Chile has an especially poor record against Brazil, having lost its previous seven matches against the Selecao, including both World Cup qualifiers by a combined 7-2. Brazil has a history of its own it would like to change -- it was eliminated at the quarterfinal stage in 2006 by Zinedine Zidane and France, its earliest World Cup exit since 1990. Their opponent this time around will be the Netherlands on July 2.

The Dutch have been impressive, easing through their first four games with as many victories and a 7-2 scoring margin. They will pose a significant threat. But this new Clockwork Orange hasn't tried to pass around a team as well organized and athletic as Dunga's Brazil.

"The pressure gets greater and greater," Dunga said. "We always have to win but even when we win, they are not happy because we didn't put on a show. If we put on a show, they are not happy because we didn't score six or seven goals. If we score six or seven goals, then they say that the opposition was no good."

So be it. He'll settle for winning on July 11.