Brazil clinched a 2-1 victory over Uruguay today to advance to the finals to the Confederations Cup and defend their Confederations Cup title at the Maracana Stadium on Sunday. Brazil will be aiming for a third consecutive Confederations Cup championship at the Maracana stadium and stand to face the winner of Italy and Spain from the other semifinal. Brazil played their standard 4-2-1-3 formation with Neymar and Hulk in wide positions positioned between Fred, the lone centerforward. Uruguay, meanwhile, opted for a 4-3-3 with the dangerous triumvirate of Diego Forlan, Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani spearheading the attack. Corinthians midfielder Paulinho returned to the Brazil squad after recovering from a mild ankle injury to replace Lazio’s Hernanes, who had started against Italy.
The match got off to a scrappy start as both teams struggled to develop any appreciable fluidity and momentum. Things appeared to liven up in the 14th minute, however, when Chelsea’s David Luiz fouled Diego Lugano in the box and conceded a penalty. Diego Forlan stepped up to the penalty spot but had his kick spectacularly saved by Julio Cesar, who dived to his left to read Forlan’s low drive perfectly. The penalty failed to change the tempo and rhythm of the match, however, as Uruguay applied pressure to Brazil in midfield, forcing the Selecao to attack down the flanks and play the occasional long ball to allow Neymar, Fred and Hulk to get behind the Uruguayan fullbacks. And then, a moment of magic from Neymar ruptured the deadlock in the 40th minute. Neymar chested down a pass from Paulinho, and had his flick of a shot deflected by Uruguayan goalkeeper Muslera. The ball subsequently bounced to Fred who poached the ball into the back of the net to give Brazil a 1-0 lead.
Uruguay responded to Fred’s goal minutes into the second half by playing the ball, through midfield, into the box with the ball eventually falling to Edinson Cavani after a maze of Brazilian defenders failed to clear the ball. Cavani calmly dispatched the ball past Julio Cesar’s right hand to make it 1-1 after 47 minutes. Cavani’s goal energized Brazil, with Neymar, for example, trekking back deeper on the left flank and into central positions in order to obtain an extra yard of space. In the 55th minute, Hulk challenged Muslera with an on target free kick that the Uruguayan keeper punched out for a corner kick. Uruguay, however, held firm by playing deep and bursting forth on the counterattack.
Scolari substituted Bernard for Hulk in the 63rd minute in a move that enlivened the Brazilian attack as Bernard, Oscar and Neymar delivered crisp, triangular combination play that allowed Brazil to penetrate the Uruguayan box on more than one occasion. Brazil dominated possession but found themselves resorting to a longer range shots as Uruguay packed the center of the box with ten men behind the ball. The match appeared to be heading for extra time until the 86th minute, when Paulinho rose to head in a Neymar corner to give Brazil a crucial 2-1 lead with roughly 7 minutes remaining.
This was a crucial victory for Brazil as it propels them to the Confederations Cup final and gives the team the luxury of another competitive game against world class opposition in a major tournament. The match showcased Brazil’s ability to play against skillful opposition who opted for a highly defensive game plan. Once again, Neymar was involved in both goals as he continues to show that the team revolves around him, even though today’s goals came from Fred and Paulinho. Brazil's victory against Uruguay allows soccer fans to dream of the mouthwatering prospect of a Brazil vs. Spain final, in Brazil at the famed Maracana Stadium on Sunday. Before that matchup, however, Spain have to surmount Italy, who will be without Mario Balotelli due to injury, although Andrea Pirlo and Daniele de Rossi are likely to be back in the Italy starting lineup.
Despite today's victory, Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari clearly still has some tweaking to do with the team's performance and positioning, but the reality is that the Brazilian machine is finally starting to click after years of inconsistency and lack of direction. Today, they beat Uruguay on home soil to exorcise the ghost of their famous loss to the same nation in the 1950 World Cup final. On Sunday, the world will know if they have truly exorcised the ghost of 1950 by winning in the Maracana Stadium in the final of a major tournament, given that the Maracana stadium was the site of their historic loss in 1950.
Showing posts with label Paulinho. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paulinho. Show all posts
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Three Quick Observations On Brazil's Landmark 3-0 Victory Against France In Porto Alegre
Brazil secured their first victory against France since 1992 with a decisive 3-0 victory on Sunday in Porto Alegre. Sunday’s victory represents sweet revenge for Brazil given that they were eliminated by France in the 2006 and 1998 World Cups and additionally lost a hard fought friendly to France in February 2011. The victory means that Brazil marches into the Confederations Cup bursting with confidence because today’s match marked the national team’s first victory over a major European team in roughly three years. Scolari’s team delivered a tantalizing glimpse of Brazil’s attacking potential and ability to command the flanks in an impressive performance rendered all the more memorable because the victory came at the expense of Brazil’s arch-rival France, who were coached by Didier Deschamps, the midfelder who lifted the World Cup trophy after France defeated Brazil 3-0 in the 1998 World Cup final.
With the exception of Marcelo starting for Filipe Luis at left back, Scolari fielded exactly the same team that he started against England, with Neymar, Fred and Hulk spearheading the attack in front in front of Chelsea playmaker Oscar. Brazil almost scored in the first minute when a fumble by France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris meant that Neymar had possession of the ball in a position where the French goalkeeper had come off his line toward the edge of the box. The ball ultimately fell to Oscar, who was stymied by the French defense. Brazil had the lion’s share of chances in the first half, with Hulk, Neymar, Fred, Marcelo and Oscar attacking down the flanks in a strategy that dispensed of attacking straight down the middle of the park, and instead focused on delivering crosses into the box from wide positions.
Three key points about Brazil’s strategy today are worth noting as preparations begin in earnest for the kickoff of the Confederations Cup on June 15:
•Brazil played today in a variant of a 4-3-3 formation, specifically, a 4-2-1-3, with Paulinho and Luiz Gustavo positioned behind Oscar. Scolari likes the idea of two holding midfielders as opposed to one. In today’s match, Paulinho and Luiz Gustavo rarely joined the attack and played the ball laterally instead of forward, allowing the fullbacks to own the attacking jaunt toward goal. The main consequence of Paulinho and Gustavo’s static quality was that we saw Neymar and Oscar drop deep into midfield to collect the ball and surge forward. Neymar, in particular, lurked around center circle more than Brazil fans would like, and exploded down the left flank through beating Mathieu Debuchy and team with sheer pace.
•Scolari unleashed Brazil’s trademark flank attack in this match, and the move paid dividends in glorious fashion. Scolari’s emphasis on the flank attack differs significantly from his predecessor Mano Menezes, who focused on attacking down the center in a Barcelona-style, possession-based build up toward goal. Against France, Marcelo functioned as an auxiliary attacker, as did Dani Alves, although Hulk owned most of the flank attack on the right flank. Scolari’s move to free up the fullbacks restores Brazilian football to its roots with respect to the practice of stretching defenses such that they essentially confront five attackers instead of two or three.
•Brazil’s bench is bursting with talent to the point where Scolari can field two squads of roughly the same strength even assuming two to three injuries. In today’s match we saw Dante, Hernanes, Bernard, Fernando and Lucas all come on as substitutes, and if anything, the rhythm of the match went into a higher gear as the bevy of substitutes took the field. This was the first match where we have seen Dante, Thiago Silva and David Luiz all on the field at the same time, leaving many to wonder whether Scolari will eventually shift to the 2002 formation where he used three fullbacks in the form of Edmilson, Roque Junior and Lucio in order to free up the 2002 World Cup fullbacks Roberto Carlos and Cafu.
The significance of this victory is not to be underestimated even though this was a friendly. France have had Brazil’s number over the last 15 years and this match proved that Brazil’s youthful squad can win against a former World Cup champion. The buildup to all three goals by Oscar, Hernanes and Lucas was vintage with short, crisp passing from the flanks leading to possession in the box that led to goals. Buoyed by today’s victory, Brazil open their defense of the Confederations Cup with a match against Japan on Saturday, June 15. They then play Mexico and Italy in what are expected to be highly challenging matches that will severely test the ability of the Selecao to win a major win tournament roughly a year away from the 2014 World Cup’s kickoff in Sao Paulo.
With the exception of Marcelo starting for Filipe Luis at left back, Scolari fielded exactly the same team that he started against England, with Neymar, Fred and Hulk spearheading the attack in front in front of Chelsea playmaker Oscar. Brazil almost scored in the first minute when a fumble by France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris meant that Neymar had possession of the ball in a position where the French goalkeeper had come off his line toward the edge of the box. The ball ultimately fell to Oscar, who was stymied by the French defense. Brazil had the lion’s share of chances in the first half, with Hulk, Neymar, Fred, Marcelo and Oscar attacking down the flanks in a strategy that dispensed of attacking straight down the middle of the park, and instead focused on delivering crosses into the box from wide positions.
Three key points about Brazil’s strategy today are worth noting as preparations begin in earnest for the kickoff of the Confederations Cup on June 15:
•Brazil played today in a variant of a 4-3-3 formation, specifically, a 4-2-1-3, with Paulinho and Luiz Gustavo positioned behind Oscar. Scolari likes the idea of two holding midfielders as opposed to one. In today’s match, Paulinho and Luiz Gustavo rarely joined the attack and played the ball laterally instead of forward, allowing the fullbacks to own the attacking jaunt toward goal. The main consequence of Paulinho and Gustavo’s static quality was that we saw Neymar and Oscar drop deep into midfield to collect the ball and surge forward. Neymar, in particular, lurked around center circle more than Brazil fans would like, and exploded down the left flank through beating Mathieu Debuchy and team with sheer pace.
•Scolari unleashed Brazil’s trademark flank attack in this match, and the move paid dividends in glorious fashion. Scolari’s emphasis on the flank attack differs significantly from his predecessor Mano Menezes, who focused on attacking down the center in a Barcelona-style, possession-based build up toward goal. Against France, Marcelo functioned as an auxiliary attacker, as did Dani Alves, although Hulk owned most of the flank attack on the right flank. Scolari’s move to free up the fullbacks restores Brazilian football to its roots with respect to the practice of stretching defenses such that they essentially confront five attackers instead of two or three.
•Brazil’s bench is bursting with talent to the point where Scolari can field two squads of roughly the same strength even assuming two to three injuries. In today’s match we saw Dante, Hernanes, Bernard, Fernando and Lucas all come on as substitutes, and if anything, the rhythm of the match went into a higher gear as the bevy of substitutes took the field. This was the first match where we have seen Dante, Thiago Silva and David Luiz all on the field at the same time, leaving many to wonder whether Scolari will eventually shift to the 2002 formation where he used three fullbacks in the form of Edmilson, Roque Junior and Lucio in order to free up the 2002 World Cup fullbacks Roberto Carlos and Cafu.
The significance of this victory is not to be underestimated even though this was a friendly. France have had Brazil’s number over the last 15 years and this match proved that Brazil’s youthful squad can win against a former World Cup champion. The buildup to all three goals by Oscar, Hernanes and Lucas was vintage with short, crisp passing from the flanks leading to possession in the box that led to goals. Buoyed by today’s victory, Brazil open their defense of the Confederations Cup with a match against Japan on Saturday, June 15. They then play Mexico and Italy in what are expected to be highly challenging matches that will severely test the ability of the Selecao to win a major win tournament roughly a year away from the 2014 World Cup’s kickoff in Sao Paulo.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Brazil And England Play To Memorable 2-2 Draw At Renovated Maracana Stadium
Brazil and England played to a memorable 2-2 draw at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro today in a game where Brazil dominated possession and England fought back on the counter-attack. Today’s game marked the first match at the newly renovated Maracana stadium where Brazil famously lost to Uruguay in the 1950 World Cup final. Brazil fielded a 4-3-3 formation with Dani Alves, David Luiz, Thiago Silva and Filipe Luis in defense, Luis Gustavo, Paulinho and Oscar in midfield, and Neymar, Fred and Hulk as the attacking triumvirate. Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari handed the famous number 10 jersey to Neymar instead of Oscar in a clear signal that he envisions the Barcelona-bound ex Santos star as the leader of the current youthful squad. England, on the other hand, played in a 4-5-1 formation with coach Roy Hodgson fielding striker Theo Walcott in a withdrawn position on the right flank behind Wayne Rooney.
Eager to avenge their 2-1 loss to England at Wembley Stadium in February, Brazil began by taking control of the midfield and attacking with their vintage short, crisp passing and the ability to beat defenders on the dribble. Moreover, Brazil pressured England relentlessly on the ball and allowed Roy Hodgson’s team little space by double teaming whenever England had possession. Chelsea midfielder Oscar orchestrated the lion’s share of Brazil’s attacks by dropping deep into midfield and sprinting forward in search of Neymar, Fred and Hulk. Neymar seemed keen to vindicate Scolari’s decision to grant him the number 10 jersey and shot on goal from close range in positions where he would have done better to pass to a teammate.
Neymar had a golden opportunity in the 19th minute when he received a pass with only the keeper to beat and shot it right into the body of the diving Joe Hart from the left flank. Two minutes later, Neymar collected a deft pass from Fred, sidestepped England defender Glen Johnson, but unleashed the shot just wide of goal. In the 35th minute, Oscar dribbled past a bevy of English defenders on the right flank and sent a bullet of a cross that Hulk backheeled just wide of goal. Minutes later, Oscar again found space on the right flank but Fred’s header floated over the bar. England’s best opportunity of the half came in the 39th minute, when Theo Walcott found space in the box to drive a shot straight at Julio Cesar, who parried the ball well.
The floodgates opened in the second half as Brazil continued to relentlessly apply pressure against the English goal. Playing largely in England’s half, Brazil continued to create chances and varied their passing game with some longer range shots on goal in an effort to disrupt Joe Hart’s rhythm. The long range strategy paid dividends in the 57th minute when Hernanes curled in a dipping shot that deflected off the cross-bar and fell to Fred lurking near the right side of goal, who twisted his body to dispatch the ball into the back of the net to give Brazil a deserved 1-0 lead. Buoyed by their breakthrough, the Samba boys rested on their laurels a little too much by easing up on their attacks and positioning themselves languidly in midfield. England were quick to capitalize on the let up in pressure as substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain carved out space outside the edge of the box and rifled in a right footed rocket past the right hand of Julio Cesar to make it 1-1 in the 66th minute. Ten minutes later, Brazil were staring defeat at the Maracana stadium squarely in the eye when Wayne Rooney burst down the left flank on a counterattacking opportunity and sent a curling, wonder of a shot into the roof of the net to make it 2-1 England. Scolari responded by sending on waves of substitutes and was granted a reprieve from an embarrassing loss when Lucas Moura’s cross found Paulinho, who volleyed the cross into the back of the net to make it 2-2 with less than 10 minutes of regulation time remaining.
Overall, this was a disappointing result for Brazil, who should genuinely feel they had their pulse on the game and deserved a victory given their possession and chances. On the other hand, Brazil fans can take heart from the fact that the midfield gelled for the first time since the 2012 Olympics, when the team delivered some impressive displays of midfield possession and creativity en route to the Olympic final. Moreover, Scolari can take heart from the depth of his squad given that his substitutions featured Real Madrid’s Marcelo, Lazio’s Hernanes, Internacional’s Leandro Damiao, Paris Saint-Germain’s Lucas Moura and Atletico Mineiro’s playmaker Bernard. Neymar, meanwhile, struggled to live up to the weight of expectations, this time in the number 10 jersey, no less. Nevertheless, Brazil fans and Scolari will be impressed by the pace of the Brazilian midfield and can expect the team to only improve both in the next two weeks and throughout the upcoming Confederations Cup. Brazil’s next friendly is against France on June 9 in Porto Alegre.
Goals
Brazil: Fred (57), Paulinho (82)
England: Oxlade-Chamberlain (66), Rooney (77)
Eager to avenge their 2-1 loss to England at Wembley Stadium in February, Brazil began by taking control of the midfield and attacking with their vintage short, crisp passing and the ability to beat defenders on the dribble. Moreover, Brazil pressured England relentlessly on the ball and allowed Roy Hodgson’s team little space by double teaming whenever England had possession. Chelsea midfielder Oscar orchestrated the lion’s share of Brazil’s attacks by dropping deep into midfield and sprinting forward in search of Neymar, Fred and Hulk. Neymar seemed keen to vindicate Scolari’s decision to grant him the number 10 jersey and shot on goal from close range in positions where he would have done better to pass to a teammate.
Neymar had a golden opportunity in the 19th minute when he received a pass with only the keeper to beat and shot it right into the body of the diving Joe Hart from the left flank. Two minutes later, Neymar collected a deft pass from Fred, sidestepped England defender Glen Johnson, but unleashed the shot just wide of goal. In the 35th minute, Oscar dribbled past a bevy of English defenders on the right flank and sent a bullet of a cross that Hulk backheeled just wide of goal. Minutes later, Oscar again found space on the right flank but Fred’s header floated over the bar. England’s best opportunity of the half came in the 39th minute, when Theo Walcott found space in the box to drive a shot straight at Julio Cesar, who parried the ball well.
The floodgates opened in the second half as Brazil continued to relentlessly apply pressure against the English goal. Playing largely in England’s half, Brazil continued to create chances and varied their passing game with some longer range shots on goal in an effort to disrupt Joe Hart’s rhythm. The long range strategy paid dividends in the 57th minute when Hernanes curled in a dipping shot that deflected off the cross-bar and fell to Fred lurking near the right side of goal, who twisted his body to dispatch the ball into the back of the net to give Brazil a deserved 1-0 lead. Buoyed by their breakthrough, the Samba boys rested on their laurels a little too much by easing up on their attacks and positioning themselves languidly in midfield. England were quick to capitalize on the let up in pressure as substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain carved out space outside the edge of the box and rifled in a right footed rocket past the right hand of Julio Cesar to make it 1-1 in the 66th minute. Ten minutes later, Brazil were staring defeat at the Maracana stadium squarely in the eye when Wayne Rooney burst down the left flank on a counterattacking opportunity and sent a curling, wonder of a shot into the roof of the net to make it 2-1 England. Scolari responded by sending on waves of substitutes and was granted a reprieve from an embarrassing loss when Lucas Moura’s cross found Paulinho, who volleyed the cross into the back of the net to make it 2-2 with less than 10 minutes of regulation time remaining.
Overall, this was a disappointing result for Brazil, who should genuinely feel they had their pulse on the game and deserved a victory given their possession and chances. On the other hand, Brazil fans can take heart from the fact that the midfield gelled for the first time since the 2012 Olympics, when the team delivered some impressive displays of midfield possession and creativity en route to the Olympic final. Moreover, Scolari can take heart from the depth of his squad given that his substitutions featured Real Madrid’s Marcelo, Lazio’s Hernanes, Internacional’s Leandro Damiao, Paris Saint-Germain’s Lucas Moura and Atletico Mineiro’s playmaker Bernard. Neymar, meanwhile, struggled to live up to the weight of expectations, this time in the number 10 jersey, no less. Nevertheless, Brazil fans and Scolari will be impressed by the pace of the Brazilian midfield and can expect the team to only improve both in the next two weeks and throughout the upcoming Confederations Cup. Brazil’s next friendly is against France on June 9 in Porto Alegre.
Goals
Brazil: Fred (57), Paulinho (82)
England: Oxlade-Chamberlain (66), Rooney (77)
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Roberto Carlos Scores from Corner Kick in "Olympic Goal" for Corinthians
Roberto Carlos scored direct from a corner kick in a 2-0 victory for Corinthians against Portuguesa in the opening week of the Sao Paolo, "Paulista" championship. In South America, goals scored direct from corner kicks are known as "Olympic Goals". The Corinthians left-back curled the ball in direct from the left flank corner flag in the 20th minute after Paulinho opened the scoring in the 12th minute. Captain Ronaldo played for most of the match in a highly encouraging start to the season where he appeared to have recovered from injuries sustained late last year. Roberto Carlos's "Olympic Goal" marks the second spectacular goal in his career after his famous banana free kick at the 1997 Tournoi de France.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Fluminense, Corinthians and Cruzeiro draw as battle for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A heats up
The race for the championship of the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A remained tightly clustered around Fluminese, Corinthians and Cruzeiro, as the three leading teams drew over the October 2 weekend against opponents further down the table. Leaders Fluminense drew 1-1 with Gremio Prudente, second placed Corinthians fought back from a 2-0 deficit to draw 2-2 with Ceara and third placed Cruzeiro drew 0-0 with Atletico Paranaense. Internacional are in fourth place while Botafogo, who drew 1-1 with arch-rivals Flamengo, are now in fifth.
Corinthians midfielder Paulinho and substitute Matias de Federico scored in the 70th and 82th minute respectively to salvage a point for Adilson Batista's team and avoid dropping further down the table into third place. In the case of Fluminense, striker Rodriguinho scored in the 34th minute to give the visitors a 1-0 lead, but Muricy Ramalho's team conceded a goal to Willian Jose 18 minutes before the whistle. The race for the title is now firmly on between the top four teams, though Corinthians and Internacional have a game in hand with 26 matches played in contrast to the 27 played by Fluminense and Cruzeiro.
Corinthians midfielder Paulinho and substitute Matias de Federico scored in the 70th and 82th minute respectively to salvage a point for Adilson Batista's team and avoid dropping further down the table into third place. In the case of Fluminense, striker Rodriguinho scored in the 34th minute to give the visitors a 1-0 lead, but Muricy Ramalho's team conceded a goal to Willian Jose 18 minutes before the whistle. The race for the title is now firmly on between the top four teams, though Corinthians and Internacional have a game in hand with 26 matches played in contrast to the 27 played by Fluminense and Cruzeiro.
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