Brazil v. USA 100711

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Team USA Top Brazil To Reach Semi-Finals

by Jeremy Ruane

The ten women of Team USA scored a dramatic equaliser in stoppage time at the end of extra time in their FIFA Women's World Cup quarter-final against Brazil at the Rudolf Harbig Stadium in Dresden on July 10 to force a 2-2 draw before prevailing 5-3 on penalties to book a date with France in Moencengladbach.

The USA got off to the perfect start, scoring after 77 seconds. A poor free-kick was cleared to Christie Rampone, who swept the ball wide to Shannon Boxx. Her low angled cross from the by-line had Abby Wambach as its intended target, but Daiane stepped in, only to slice her attempted clearance into her own net.

That goal set up the match, and Brazil wasted little time in endeavouring to score at the right end. Just ninety seconds later, Formiga and Cristiane linked neatly, with the striker's deft flick wide inviting Rosana to whip in a low cross.

Alex Krieger was racing back, tracking the run of Marta, and it was under the defender's feet that the ball got stuck. Fortunately for the USA, Hope Solo was alert to the danger, and got her team-mate out of trouble.

The Americans came close to doubling their score in the twelfth minute. Rampone's free-kick from half-way targeted Wambach's run to the near post, and the striker's flicked header ricocheted off the rising figure of Andreia, Brazil's 'keeper, to safety.

Five minutes later, Amy Le Peilbet was narrowly astray with a rasping twenty-five yarder after winning possession well, Wambach and the eye-catching Heather O'Reilly having engineered the opening on the right.

Brazil were soon pressing hard for an equaliser, but Solo was in commanding form in her penalty area, mopping up all the Brazilians' probing through balls, and bossing the air as well - she was flying Solo, literally, particularly when she soared over the top of Rosana to claim a Daiane free-kick which had been allowed to bounce in the penalty area in the 34th minute.

But she was second best in the 22nd minute, when a super corner from Marta arced over the USA's number one and found Aline arriving on the far post. Her header crashed into the side-netting.

Seconds later, a lightning-quick Brazilian counter-attack saw Marta storm through from inside her own half, past two defenders to a spot fifteen yards from goal. She blazed her shot over the bar, and knew full well she should have done better.

An absorbing contest was unfolding, with Brazil's over-reliance on probing through balls matched by the USA's lack of accuracy and precision in their passing. It's not enough to play the ball in the general direction of a team-mate when you're playing Brazil - it's got to be spot on, else possession changes hands.

Amy Rodriguez was shocking in this regard. In a ten-minute spell late in the first half, she gave the ball away no less than four times, including in the 36th minute, when her under-hit pass sold Carli Lloyd short and allowed Formiga to send Cristiane thundering through the middle. Her twenty-five yard drive was smothered by Solo.

Seconds later, the USA's 'keeper was beaten by an acutely angled chip from Fabiana, who had swooped on Rodriguez's latest contribution to Brazil's possession count with a vengeance. From the right, near the by-line, she delivered an audacious chip which hit the crossbar.

The final act of note in the first half saw a Boxx twenty-yarder grabbed greedily by Andreia, while the early stages of the second spell saw little of note taking place until just before the hour mark, when two superb pieces of defending by Christie Rampone thwarted Cristiane and Rosana in separate incidents.

Cue Solo, and another flying save, this time to deny Cristiane's curling effort high to her right after Formiga had sent her front-running team-mate clear on the right. Seconds later, Cristiane sent Fabiana storming through to the by-line, from where she crossed to the near post. Solo was onto it in cat-like fashion.

The USA responded by going within inches of doubling their lead. Megan Rapinoe, an early second half substitute, curled in a free-kick from the left in the 63rd minute, which found Lloyd flying through the gathered throngs. Her header crashed off the crossbar.

Cue the drama. And there was plenty of it! Rachel Buehler hauled down Marta in the area in the 65th minute, prompting Australian referee Jacqui Melksham - whose taxi for the airport was waiting outside long before she blew the final whistle, so poor was her display - to point to the penalty spot.

And whip out the red card - bye bye Buehler, deemed guilty of a professional foul. Cristiane stepped up to take the spot kick, only to be denied by a superb Solo save. Play continued for a good thirty seconds as the USA scrambled the ball to safety, at which point the referee decided that Solo had moved before the kick had been taken.

That went down like a lead balloon with the crowd, and Solo went ballistic at the officials - her yellow card was a given. So were the boos afforded Marta, when she converted the retake to level the scores in the 68th minute.

Every time Marta got the ball after that, she was subjected to an avalanche of cat-calls - Miss Popularity at Germany 2011 she is not! And aside from the Brazilian fan base, the sell-out 25,598-strong crowd got right in behind the USA during the last twenty minutes, making it clear to all and sundry what they thought of the injustice witnessed on the pitch.

The teams cancelled each other out in the time remaining, meaning an additional half-hour would be required to separate two of the top-three-ranked teams in international women's football.

Two minutes into the additional half-hour, Brazil took the lead, and the boos which rang out were not confined to the scorer. Maurine, Cristiane and Erika worked an opening on the left which culminated in the last-mentioned slipping a pass through for Maurine to cross from the by-line.

The flank player was in an offside position when the ball was played, however. Knowing Australian match officials as we Kiwis do all too well, do you think this was spotted? The crowd told the story long before Marta hooked the cross home via the far post past a stunned Solo, who was not alone in expecting play to be called back for the offside call.

The cat-calls for Marta were, if anything, increasing in volume, and the cheers which greeted Solo's next save, at the feet of Cristiane following a break by Fabiana, were equally loud. Then, in the 97th minute, a loose ball landed at the feet of Wambach, who fair battered a vicious low fifteen yard volley towards the far corner of the net.

It was in for all money until Andreia, at full stretch, tipped the ball to safety - a splendid stop which even had Solo applauding in admiration.

Back came Brazil, Cristiane sending a fifteen-yarder sizzling over the crossbar just before half-time in extra-time. In the five minutes after the resumption, the USA were twice denied penalty claims, the first when Amy Le Peilbet went down as she burst into the area, and the second an even more clear-cut decision, as youngster Alex Morgan found herself the meat in a Brazilian sandwich.

Unbelievably, referee Melksham ignored both calls, which prompted further howls of derision from the crowd, who were now desperate to see the USA get back on level terms. Twice Lloyd went close in the dying minutes, from thirty and twenty yards respectively, while in between these efforts, Solo saved a Francielle drive after Marta had got in behind a USA defence in which Rampone was rock-like.

Three minutes of additional time were signalled, punishment for Brazil's gamesmanship. Included in this was Erika going down in the goalmouth with no-one near her, a delay which saw her stretchered off the pitch.

No sooner had play resumed then she was off the stretcher, as fit as a fiddle. When she returned to the pitch, she rightly received a yellow card, one of eight issued by the referee, in addition to the red card. And it was not a dirty game by any stretch of the imagination …

Two minutes into the additional time, Brazil suffered the ultimate punishment for their inappropriate tactics - 2-2. Lloyd surged forward in midfield, shrugging off the challenge of Marta before sweeping play wide to Rapinoe. Her cross arced towards the far post, over Daiane and Andreia, but not Wambach, whose thumping header crashed into the roof of the net.

There was still time for a winner, and Marta nearly grabbed it, bursting into the area before lashing a low drive at the target. Fittingly, the game's foremost player produced a save to keep the USA in the Women's World Cup - Solo richly deserved her FIFA Player of the Match award, and her efforts were instrumental in bringing about a penalty shoot-out.

Boxx stepped up, only to see Andreia save her shot. But the 'keeper had begun moving as the midfielder began her run-up, prompting a retake. There was no mistake at the second time of asking, and spot-kicks from then on went with form - nothin' but net.

Cristiane. Lloyd. Marta - the boos were deafening. Wambach. 3-2 USA. Then came Daiane … and a brilliant fingertip save from Solo which all but brought the house down.

Rapinoe rattled home the ten men's fourth penalty, to which Francielle replied in kind. The burden fell on the young shoulders of Krieger to clinch a semi-final with France, and the USA fullback didn't flinch - 5-3 on penalties to the USA, and a sense of justice served after a game which had seen a few injustices against the two-time world champions.

USA: Solo (booked, 67); Krieger, Buehler (sent off, 66), Rampone, Le Peilbet; O'Reilly (Heath, 108), Lloyd (booked, 29), Boxx (booked, 113), Cheney (Rapinoe, 54 (booked, 90)); Rodriguez (Morgan, 72), Wambach

Brazil: Andreia; Aline (booked, 44), Daiane, Erika (booked, 117); Fabiana, Formiga (Renata Costa, 114), Ester, Maurine (booked, 111); Cristiane, Rosana (Francielle, 84), Marta (booked, 44)

Referee: Jacqui Melksham (Australia)

2011 Draw