Mninawa Ntloko
29 June 2009
Johannesburg — THEY are the world's most popular national team and Brazil showed why they make soccer such a beautiful sport to watch when the holders produced an irrepressible display to beat the US in the final of the Confederations Cup at Ellis Park last night.
Brazil clawed their way back from a 2-0 half-time deficit to beat the hard- working Americans 3-2 in an entertaining tournament-decider that provided a fitting end to two weeks of enthralling football.
Such is the popularity of this Brazil team that even South Africans forgave them their 1-0 defeat of Bafana Bafana in the semifinals, and the 53000-strong crowd at Ellis Park was caught in a mesmerised spell as the artists from South America used the rugby pitch as their canvas.
A second-half brace from Brazil's Luis Fabiano and a third from Lucio cancelled out first-half goals from the US's Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan.
That the Brazilians managed a total of 31 shots on goal and had 60% of possession is testament to the qualities of a supremely gifted side that will likely arrive in SA as overwhelming favourites to win a sixth Soccer World Cup title next year.
The US had looked to be on course to making a mockery of pre- tournament predictions when coach Bob Bradley's unheralded charges raced to a 2-0 lead in the first half.
With President Jacob Zuma once again in attendance, Ellis Park was stunned into silence when Clint Dempsey scored the opening goal of the match after a sweet cross from Benny Feilhaber only nine minutes into the encounter.
Realising that Brazil would be forced to commit many players forward in their desperate search for an equaliser, the US patiently waited for the opportune moment to spring a counter-attack.
The perfect opportunity came in the 27th minute of the first half when Robinho lost the ball and the US launched a lightening-fast counter- attack that resulted in Donovan first turning Ramires inside the penalty area before beating goal-keeper Julio Cesar with a low shot.
Brazil coach Dunga must have given his charges a tongue-lashing at the break as they looked a very different team when they came back on and made their intentions clear from the start.
Fabiano hauled Brazil back into the match when he turned his marker Jay DeMerit at the edge of the box before firing the ball between the hapless defender's legs to open Brazil's account.
The US seemed to fall apart after that and it was hardly any surprise when Fabiano got his second of the night and beat Tim Howard again.
The US fairytale was finally over when Lucio headed Brazil into the lead for the first time in the match in what proved to be the title winner.
Widely tipped to be on the first flight home after the initial stages, the US first survived a tough group that contained Brazil, World Cup holders Italy and Egypt.
The unlikely fairytale continued into the second week of the tournament when the Americans surpris- ingly beat Spain 2-0 in the semifinals. They were not disgraced here last night and are sure to be a formidable team when they return for the World Cup next year.
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