BRAZIL BRIEFLY YESTERDAY UNVEILED the baby-rocking goal celebration famously pioneered by Bebeto back in 1994. But in that, and that alone, did they resemble a team of world champions. For a second time in this World Cup, the famous samba drumbeat that follows them has been silenced and yesterday it was Waltzing Matilda that filled the void.
The old chorus was finally silenced by Brazil’s second goal, in the final minute, that nailed the upstart Antipodeans to defeat, but Australia rarely looked like a team ranked 44th in the world playing against the World Cup favourites. As Gus Hiddink, the Australia coach, said: “Brazil had great difficulty. In the second half Australia dominated the world champions when you would have expected them to be in control. They are not playing like world champions.”
The latest Brazilian to share the embrace of fatherhood with the world was Adriano, who followed the news of his first-born on Friday with the opening goal yesterday. The impromptu celebrations in the Brazil camp three days ago, however, will surely not have been matched after yesterday’s win, which was another victory of the hard-fought, lucky-not-to-concede kind and not remotely Brazilian in its concept. The howls of derision that greeted 50-yard passes back to the goalkeeper were a poignant comment on a team who are struggling when they attempt to go forward.
Two wins from two and not one goal conceded does, indeed, make for good reading and Brazil fans can well flourish the old argument that winning when you are playing badly augurs well for when it all starts to click. However, with Australia piling forward in the closing minutes, Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka just missing and Dida having to pull off an excellent save to his right, the satisfaction can only be limited.
The worry back home was that Brazil’s World Cup would be sacrificed on the vanity of “salto alto” football. The direct translation is “high heels”, but the overall meaning suggests an excess of self-belief and showboating. No chance of that being a problem against Australia, though. There was no time for refinery against the high energy and physicality with which Australia laid down their challenge. “
Advertisement
There’s no point trying to win a fight with them,” Emerson said before the game. Indeed there was not, albeit that Marcus Merk, the referee, gave every tug, tackle or remotely debatable decision in Brazil’s favour.
Instead, they attempted to pass Australia to death, though here they encountered immense difficulties, largely because Ronaldo again lost possession, but also because of the tight marking by Scott Chipperfield and Brett Emerton on their play-makers, Kaká and Ronaldinho.
Again, Ronaldinho failed to dazzle the way his domestic season suggested he would. He and Kaká were asked, for this contest, to show a little interest in defending, but this does not explain why he has been so ineffective. Ronaldinho’s problems are symptomatic of a team not quite functioning. Most telling was a long crossfield ball from Ronaldo that so badly missed its target — Roberto Carlos — that its intended recipient gesticulated furiously with frustration.
Just as they had been against Croatia, Brazil were fortunate to be facing a team who could not quite hit the target. Australia were also undone by two excellent last-man tackles by Zé Roberto and an open goal that Kewell missed within a minute from arriving as a substitute.
Zé Roberto was a deserving winner of the man-of-the-match award and Brazil can be pleased with the improvement by Adriano, who took his goal well. Adriano’s partner up front, Ronaldo, was also better than he had been against Croatia, though further improvement is still required.
Advertisement
Once again, Ronaldo’s replacement, Robinho, brought a liveliness to the attack that was previously missing. It was Robinho’s shot late on that rebounded off the right post for Fred, another substitute, to tap in for the second goal. Two substitutes combining well for Brazil? Evidence, perhaps, that the stars in whom this team have invested so much faith may not be the answer after all.