Brazil bests Canada in friendly
25 minutes ago
Buzz Up PrintSEATTLE (Ticker) - Team Canada held its own with five-time world champion Brazil, but a miscue ultimately did it in.
Robinho scored the eventual game-winning goal in the 63rd minute as Brazil recorded a 3-2 triumph over Canada in a friendly in front of 47,052 at Qwest Field.
With the game tied at 2-2, Canadian midfielder Julian de Guzman tried pass the ball back from just short of midfield, but his attempt sailed behind his intended target.
Robinho did the rest from there, collecting the ball and dribbling past goalkeeper Pat Onstad. The superstar then drilled the ball in the back of the net for the winner.
Canada coach Dale Mitchell credited de Guzman for having a complete contest, rather than lamenting his one miscue.
“I thought he had an excellent game,” Mitchell said. “He does a lot of work in midfield, he can distribute the ball, scored a good goal, perhaps could have had another one in the first half on his left foot.
“A mistake like that can happen to anybody, but, in general, another excellent performance from Julian de Guzman.”
Brazilian coach Dunga credited both clubs for a tightly contested match.
“It’s a tough game,” Dunga said through an interpreter. “It’s good that we were able to apply the activities and the training and winning is also good, it gives us more tranquility to continue to work.”
“No doubt the game was very tough, very difficult. They were playing with many players behind. The field wasn’t very helpful for velocity and speed, but it was a tough game.”
Brazil opened the scoring in the fourth minute of action. Diego split Canadian defenders just wide of the box before dropping a pass to Robinho. The Sevilla forward beat Onstad low on the wide side to give the South American contingent a 1-0 lead.
The lead didn’t last long as Canada answered six minutes later when Tomasz Radzinski sent a high ball into the box from 35 yards out on the left side. Forward Rob Friend outjumped goalkeeper Julio Csar and headed the ball into the back of the net to even the score at 1-1.
“To go a goal down in the fourth minute, it would’ve been easy to concede a lot more,” Mitchell said. “We had a great response with a good goal from Rod Friend. There was certainly more chances to perhaps get a little bit more from the game.
“I was pleased with our performance, the way we played football. I was really proud of the players tonight.”
Canada had opportunities to take the lead against Brazil. In the 24th minute, Friend played a through ball from midfield to Issey Nakajima-Farran, who raced past a pair of Brazilian defenders to gain control of the pass. Nakajima-Farran was all alone on the keeper Csar, but his chip shot slipped wide of the open goal.
Friend helped give Canada another scoring chance in the 32nd minute. Dwayne De Rosario carried the ball down the right-touch line, easily driving past Brazilian defender Josu before delivering the ball to Friend inside the penalty box. The Canadian forward neatly dropped a pass to de Guzman, who fired a shot from 20 yards out that Csar punched wide.
Despite the pressure from Canada, it was Brazil which tallied again before halftime.
Running down the left touch line, Gilberto took a pass from Robinho and then sent a left-footed cross into the box. Onstad originally stopped Luis Fabiano’s header from six yards out, but the ball trickled across the end line into the goal giving Brazil a 2-1 advantage heading into the break.
Canada evened the score in the 56th minute after de Guzman took a loose ball 30 yards from the Brazilian goal, and on his second touch, drilled a shot into the back of the net from 25 yards out.
“We knew Canada is a very disciplined team,” Dunga said through an interpreter. “They have two or three plays that they repeat to perfection. It was a difficult game and a good test. Good preparation for Brazil.”
Brazil continues its brief two-match tour of the United States with a game against Venezuela next weekend in Boston.
I saw the game live on telemundo, let me tell you, Canada should have won that game, missed a sitter. Brazil looked poor in the defensive third.
