2010 World Cup: Brazil v Ivory Coast match report
Brazil 3 Ivory Coast 1
A superb brace from Luis Fabiano sent Brazil through to the last 16 in Johannesburg, as the Samba stars produced a convincing 3-1 win over Ivory Coast.
The match was marred for Brazil three minutes before full-time, though, when Kaka was sent off for violent conduct.
Having failed to score at all for Brazil in 2010, Fabiano grabbed a goal either side of half-time to give the five-time world champions a comfortable lead; before Elano added a decisive third soon after. Didier Drogba pulled a goal back for the Ivorians ten minutes before the end, but it only proved a mere consolation.
And in the 87th minute, Kaka was shown a second yellow card for elbowing Kader Keita, whose theatrics certainly helped to get the Brazilian number 10 sent off.
The match burst into life initially with Robinho shooting over from 30-yards after just 42 seconds on the clock. For a considerable period of time after this, however, both teams were hampered by sloppy play.
The match was finally reignited on the 24th minute when the largely ineffective Kaka released Fabiano inside the box. The striker found himself one-on-one with Boubacar Barry and rifled his shot emphatically into the roof of the net to score one of the best goals of the tournament so far.
Ivory Coast had failed to test Julio Cesar with Drogba isolated on his own upfront against Lucio and co; and needed to come up with a Plan B during half-time to rescue something from this match.
Fabiano lit up the first half with a stunning effort, and then repeated the trick five minutes after the break with a magnificent individual goal with more than a hint of Samba flair. However, the replays suggested that the striker handled the ball on two separate occasions in the build-up to his eventual strike.
After expertly flicking the ball over two Ivory Coast defenders, the rejuvenated striker slammed in a venomous left-footed strike which Barry could only parry into the back of his own net. The referee, Stephane Lannoy, failed to spot the striker controlling the ball with the top of his arm, though, and the goal was given.
At the other end, Drogba was presented with a glorious chance to pull a goal back for the Elephants, but could only guide his header wide of Cesar's far post.
Minutes later the Ivory Coast would come to rue that missed opportunity when Elano added a third for Dunga's side.
By this point Kaka was now rediscovering the form which prompted Real Madrid to shell out £56 million for him last year. The former World Player of the Year brilliantly ghosted down the left-flank to the byline and rolled the ball across the face of goal for Elano to slot home.
His joy would soon turn to personal agony, though. A crunching tackle from Cheik Tiote left the attacking midfielder in a heap on the floor, and he was soon forced off the field with a nasty-looking leg injury.
With Brazil controlling the tempo of the match, a fourth goal looked inevitable. However, few would have expected it to come from Sven Goran Eriksson's side.
Substitute Gervinho ran the length of the field only to be tackled by Lucio. The ball fell kindly to Yaya Toure, though, and he floated in a perfectly-weighted ball for Drogba, who had timed his run to perfection. The star of African football brought the biggest cheer of the night when he flicked the ball past Cesar with his head inside the box to give his side a glimmer of hope.
For all the wonderful goals the biggest talking point of the night, which came three minutes before full-time, would sour the evening's entertaining encounter.
Keita went down as if he'd been struck in the face by Kaka, only for replays to reveal that the Brazilian midfielder had only elbowed the Ivoirian's chest. Although the referee had missed the incident, following a discussion with his assistant, a second yellow card was brandished in the direction of Kaka, who looked bemused as he walked off the pitch.
Whatever action Fifa may decide to take with regards to that unsavoury incident, Brazil are through to the next round; while Ivory Coast's fate is now out of their own hands.
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