Posts Tagged ‘Confederations Cup’

Rooney slept through draw

USA 2-3 Brazil

USA 2-3 Brazil

A late header from Lucio completed Brazil’s fight back from two goals down to win the Confederations Cup final against United States in Johannesburg.

After falling behind to efforts from Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan, the South Americans looked out of ideas when they left the field at half-time. But the Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano pulled one back immediately after the restart, before drawing his side level with a second with 16 minutes still to play. Lucio, the Brazil captain, then had the final say when he powered home from an Elano corner to claim Brazil’s third Confederations Cup.

Before kick-off Fifa honoured Marc-Vivien Foé, the Cameroon midfielder, who collapsed with a heart problem during the 2003 tournament in France, with his son Marc Scott delivering a message in memory of his late father.

On the field, Dempsey fired a 20-yard shot wide early on, while Kaka’s glanced header from a Robinho corner and Andre Santos’ ambitious long-range drive were also off target.

But the Brazilians were stunned in the 10th minute when Jonathan Spector delivered a fine cross from the right that was turned home by Dempsey from the centre of the penalty area.

The South Americans tried to hit back with Kaka turning neatly in midfield and laying a pass on for Robinho, whose curled shot from the left was goal-bound until Tim Howard intervened to turn it wide for a corner.

Bob Bradley’s men again had their goalkeeper to thank seconds later after he blocked shots from Felipe Melo and Maicon, although both were struck straight at him.

The USA then stretched their lead in the 27th minute following a sweeping counter-attack that was started and finished by Donovan.

The LA Galaxy striker picked the ball up on the halfway line and then spread it wide to Charlie Davies on the left, before collecting the return pass just outside the box, easing his way past Ramires and blasting a fine left-footed finish beyond Julio Cesar.

The shell-shocked defending champions again tried to rebuild, with Andre Santos shooting straight at Howard, followed by Luis Fabiano heading over from a corner. The Everton goalkeeper again denied Robinho five minutes before the break when he tipped over from the Manchester City striker.

But Dunga’s half-time team talk helped his players up their game as they struck back in the 46th minute with Maicon finding Luis Fabiano just inside the box and the striker turning neatly before firing low beyond Howard.

The USA keeper continued to be kept busy with Lucio forcing him to block from a close-range header. Kaka’s header then looked to have crossed the line – the Real Madrid player directed the ball towards the goal, with Howard punching it away off the crossbar – but no goal was given. Replays showed the ball had crossed the line.

Donovan and Dempsey had efforts on goal which helped their side relieve the pressure just after the hour mark, but on both occasions Julio Cesar was there to punch the ball away.

And the weight of Brazil’s constant attacks finally proved too much at the other end and, after seeing Howard steal the ball from his feet, Luis Fabiano was on hand to convert a Kaka cross which skimmed across the face of the goal from the left – Robinho’s initial shot hitting the crossbar and falling into the path of his strike partner.

The equaliser came after 74 minutes and, shortly after Robinho powered agonisingly over from 20 yards out, Lucio met Elano’s corner with thundering header that flew into Howard’s top right-hand corner to complete a thrilling comeback.

Alves stakes his claim for final spot

• Attacking full-back may be needed to penetrate States
• ‘The little guys rule in football,’ Brazilian claims

When Daniel Alves da Silva hovered over a free-kick during the anxious denouement of what had been a close encounter between Brazil and South Africa, for a moment there was not another soul in the stadium.

One scud later, he was back with the rest of the world, whooping about the goal that put Brazil into today’s Confederations Cup final and unleashing a little bit of the personal frustration that has pricked his professional life in the past few weeks. It can not be too heavy an ordeal to be part of the two biggest shows in football – Barcelona and Brazil – but for Alves the dream has imperfections.

In May, after a dazzling season, he was forced to miss Barça’s Champions League final victory over Manchester United through suspension. Then he joined up with Brazil to carry on the complex fight for the right-back spot – one he generally loses to the more muscular Maicon.

It is a tough choice for the coach, Dunga, who has at his disposal two outstanding contenders for one position who come with contrasting qualities. Does he go for Maicon, who dominates his flank for Inter in the more defensive world of Serie A? Or the more cavalier Alves, who tears up and down his wing in La Liga as if he can’t get to the other end fast enough? Cafu, the iconic Brazilian right-back who held the position for 143 caps, calls Alves his “natural successor”. But it is the pragmatic Dunga who calls the shots and he tends to prefer Maicon.

That match-winning free-kick enabled Alves to make a point, something this effervescent character enjoys doing immensely. On the outside of his right ankle is a tattoo of the cartoon figures of Sylvester and Tweety Pie. The cat has his arms outstretched as if to pounce – but as everyone knows there is only one eventual winner, and that is the little bird. He chose this particular image not only because it tickles him, but because it symbolises the upward challenges he has always faced.

“The cat wants to catch and eat Tweety and, if you take his size and power at face value, should be able to. But the little guy is always ready, able to outsmart him. He’s always inventive enough to have something up his sleeve,” he explains. “The little guys rule in football, too. We are in an era where there are so many clever footballing ‘midgets’ who are smarter than the average player and can do something different.”

Certainly the little guys have become reassuringly dominant over the past year, ensuring that Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, and David Villa are as admired as anyone. A little further down the list Werder Bremen’s Diego and Arsenal’s Andrey Arshavin have the capacity to dictate matches brilliantly. In fact one of the reasons it was so shocking to see the USA outmanoeuvre Spain last week was that we have become so used to seeing the small, slick, ball players prosper.

That a full-back is also regarded as a super talent is testament to Alves’s attacking verve. When he made the switch from Sevilla to the Camp Nou last summer he became the most expensive player ever in his position. Barcelona – not always the biggest spenders – were willing to pay €29m (£24m) for him. He suggests that Pep Guardiola has improved him, in trying to harness the talent and add more responsibility than he had in Seville. But his main weapon has not been blunted.

Not many managers bring on a full-back when they are trying to win a goalless game, as Dunga did against South Africa in the semi-final. Then again, not many managers have at their disposal a full-back quite like Alves. The man who once claimed he would be happy to be the kit man for his country is hoping for another chance to prove his worth in this final. Against the spirited and organised USA, Brazil may well need their jack in the box. Incidentally, try telling Bob Bradley’s team that they are not the little guys in this final.

Bankers assure Liverpool fans over debt

• England full-back completes move from Pompey
• Johnson signs four-year deal with Rafael Benítez’s side

Glen Johnson has completed his £17m transfer from Portsmouth to Liverpool, signing a four-year contract at Anfield worth £80,000-a-week.

Rafael Benítez beat competition from Chelsea and Manchester City to make the England international his first major acquisition of the summer, with the deal likely to precipitate the departure of Alvaro Arbeloa once Spain’s interest in the Confederations Cup ends on Sunday. Johnson underwent a medical last week and agreed personal terms on his return from holiday.

“We had to be quick and the club acted quickly,” said Benítez. “It was down to the player whether he chose us or City or Chelsea and he chose us. It was very clear from talking to him that he wanted to play for Liverpool.”

Brazil 1-0 South Africa

Brazil 1-0 South Africa

Daniel Alves scored direct from a free kick two minutes from time to give Brazil a hard-earned 1-0 win over hosts South Africa on Thursday and a place in the Confederations Cup final.

Substitute Alves, who had only been on the field for six minutes, lashed home a shot from the edge of the penalty area after South Africa skipper Aaron Mokoena had fouled Ramires.

Brazil, bidding to retain the trophy they won in 2005, now face United States in Sunday’s final while South Africa meet Spain in the third-place playoff.

South Africa’s best chance came in the first half when Mokoena headed over the bar from a metre out.