Brazil v. USA

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Brazil v. USA

Abject Americans Destroyed By Brilliant Brazil

by Jeremy Ruane

Brazil advanced to their maiden FIFA Women's World Cup Final in emphatic fashion in front of 47,818 fans at the Hangzhou Dragon Stadium on September 27, treating two-time winners the USA with contempt as they humiliated the world's top-ranked team 4-0.

The scoreline flattered the beaten team, who could not have complained had their South American opponents won this semi-final by at least double that tally - Brazil were as brilliant as the Americans were abject.

Save for a long-range effort by Lori Chalupny inside the first fifteen seconds, and a sixth minute header by the same player following a Cat Whitehill free-kick - both efforts were saved by Andreia, the USA were a distinct second best throughout proceedings, as their 51-match unbeaten run was brought to a calamitous conclusion in record-breaking fashion.

The heaviest ever reversal in the entire history of the US women's soccer team was administered in merciless fashion by a Brazilian side which brought to a spectacularly sad end the careers of the last surviving members of the 1999 Women's World Cup-winning side, Kristine Lilly, Kate Markgraf, Christie Rampone and Briana Scurry.

The last-mentioned was a controversial selection by American coach Greg Ryan for this match, who gave the veteran custodian the nod ahead of regular number one Hope Solo in this match. The latter cut a forlorn figure throughout what quickly became the darkest night in the history of US women's soccer.

And the greatest night yet in Brazilian women's football. Denied a fourth minute penalty when overly officious Swiss referee Nicole Petignat ignored the claims of Cristiane after she had been tackled from behind by Whitehill, the coming force in world women's football served notice that this would be their night soon afterwards when Scurry flapped at a Daniela free-kick. Elaine volleyed over from a tight angle.

A particularly physical start to the game saw referee Petignat issue three yellow cards inside the first half hour. She also signalled two goals, as the end of an era in women's football arrived two games earlier than the Americans had anticipated.

Another Daniela free-kick, and the resulting corner from Marta, penned the USA inside their own penalty area just prior to the 20th minute, when Formiga fired over another corner. Leslie Osborne's attempt to clear the inswinging delivery with a diving header saw the ball fly off her into the net, the statuesque figure of Scurry rooted to the spot when she should have come to gather the ball at her near post.

Worse was to come for the aging custodian, for in the 27th minute, Brazil doubled their advantage. In normal circumstances, Stephanie Lopez would have had no problems dealing with the ball near her left-hand touchline, but when Marta is on the prowl, normal circumstances aren't an option.

Somehow, the reigning FIFA Women's Player of the Year - a crown she will surely retain based on her displays in this tournament - managed to dispossess the young fullback, and she promptly set sail for goal. Past Markgraf she swept before unleashing a low fifteen-yard drive which Scurry could only parry into her net.

You just knew that Solo, looking on disconsolately, would have kept out both goals which had Brazil celebrating, but that was of scant consolation to the

sidelined shot-stopper and her team-mates, who were looking down the barrel of a right royal hiding even at this stage of proceedings.

The Americans looked to pull a goal back soon after Brazil's double-whammy, with a couple of free-kicks from Lilly causing concern, while a twenty-yarder from Chalupny careered past Andreia's uprights.

But generally they lacked imagination, impetus and ideas, even though three players on the USA's bench - Carli Lloyd, Natasha Kai and Aly Wagner - boast those qualities in abundance, just like their Brazilian opponents, who quickly had the Americans on the back foot once more.

Long-range efforts from Cristiane, Daniela - after a lightning-quick raid featuring Renata Costa and Marta - and Elaine before the interval ensured the USA couldn't go on all-out attack in an effort to turn the deficit around, but another incident, in stoppage time, effectively put the skids on the two-time victors' hopes of a third Women's World Cup triumph.

The first name in referee Petignat's book in this match was Shannon Boxx, in the fourteenth minute. So when the USA's midfield enforcer tangled off the ball with Cristiane as they chased after it - the Brazilian striker ran into the back of the midfielder and sent both players tumbling, the official appeared to make the assumption that Boxx had been the perpetrator of the incident.

Out came the yellow card again, followed by the red one, and as Boxx trudged tearfully up the tunnel, the USA's prospects of 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup glory tagged along for the trip.

USA coach, Greg Ryan, knowing he had to chase the game, opted to play with three at the back from the start of the second half, which was something akin to footballing suicide against a Brazilian team as mobile as this one.

Sure enough, the Selecao licked their lips with relish at the chance of feasting on the wounded animal which was the US women's team, a side which Brazil had beaten just once in twenty-two clashes prior to this one.

And feast they most certainly did on this once-mighty side, whose efforts over the years have done so much to bring women's football to the attention of the sporting world, but who were now, almost at will, being carved apart with surgical precision as a stunned worldwide audience looked on with a mixture of fascination, disbelief and sadness as a glory-laden era came to the most inglorious ending imaginable.

Brazil could have scored four goals inside the first nine minutes of the second half alone - their movement and inter-play were simply spell-binding. Maycon, Daniela, Maycon again and Cristiane all had opportunities to crown Marta-inspired raids with the third goal they craved.

In the 56th minute, the seemingly inevitable finally materialised, via a counter-attack. Needless to say, the ubiquitous figure of Marta was involved, the maestro prompting the move by releasing Formiga down the left. Inside she raced before rolling the ball into the path of the completely unmarked Cristiane, who coolly picked her spot - 3-0.

That goal effectively killed off the contest - there was no way on earth the USA's ten women were going to recover this sort of deficit against a Brazil

side which was content to now do as it pleased, knowing full well that their date with destiny in Shanghai against Germany was all but certain.

Lilly, the world's most capped international, was not prepared to lie down and die quietly, however. Brazil failed to deal with a Whitehill free-kick in the 62nd minute, and the USA veteran, playing in her fifth World Cup Finals, was onto the loose ball in an instant, only to shoot straight at Andreia, who kept out an outrageous lobbed attempt by Lilly seven minutes later.

In between these attempts, Scurry saved at the feet of Marta as she looked to turn home an Elaine pass, while from the 73rd minute onwards, Brazil began to go through their seemingly limitless supply of party tricks, to liven up the occasion.

Cristiane and Formiga both went close before Marta conjured up some magic. Tina Ellertson, the US substitute who materialised on the hour mark to significantly shore up their suspect defence, was left bewildered by the number ten's bewitching turn past her in the penalty area, near the by-line. The striker picked out Cristiane with her cross, but Scurry saved her shot, diving to her right to do so.

That was in the 78th minute. Sixty seconds later, Maycon played the ball in to Marta, who had her back to goal near the right-hand edge of the USA penalty area, Ellerton in close proximity behind her.

What happened next was not something which can be taught. It was a moment of pure genius, an instinctive piece of skill which will come to be regarded as one of the defining moments in this and every other Women's World Cup.

Knowing where her opponent was, and with the ball coming into her at hip height, Marta lifted up her left leg and back-heeled the ball around Ellertson's left side.

Immediately upon doing so, she dashed round the defender's other side and gathered the ball behind her, before swerving past the covering figure of Whitehill and lashing a shot on the turn which squirmed under the diving Scurry and ended where such moments of magic deserve to belong - in the back of the net.

At 4-0, the game was up for the USA, and while they strove for a consolation goal through Lloyd and Whitehill before the finish, Brazil went closer still through Daniela, who grazed the crossbar with a chip, and Cristiane, whose shot thudded against the base of the post after Elaine and Daniela had linked on the right.

Referee Petignat's final whistle put the USA out of their misery, and sparked off joyous scenes among the Brazilians, who, given their history in this clash, can be forgiven for behaving as if they had just won the FIFA Women's World Cup.

If they treat Germany with similar contempt at Shanghai's Hangkou Football Stadium on Sunday evening, few will bet against their doing exactly that.

Brazil: Andreia; Elaine, Aline (booked, 28), Tania; Daniela, Formiga, Renata Costa (booked, 55), Ester, Maycon; Cristiane, Marta

USA: Scurry; Rampone, Markgraf (Dalmy, 76), Whitehill, Lopez (Lloyd, 46); Osborne, Boxx (booked, 14, 45 - sent-off), Chalupny (booked, 26); O'Reilly (Ellertson, 60), Wambach (booked, 49), Lilly

Referee: Nicole Petignat (Switzerland)

2007