Brazil beats North Korea, 2-1, on a frigid night
Reporting from Johannesburg, South Africa — On a frigid night, with temperatures dipping to near freezing, it was soccer that almost fell victim to the cold.
Five-time world champion Brazil couldn’t handle it. With the wind-chill factored in, it was 24 degrees, The Brazilians are a team of the tropics, a team whose creative juices flow best in the sunshine and warmth.
When six of Brazil’s starters wore gloves at ramshackle Ellis Park Stadium on Tuesday night for the Selecao’s game against North Korea, it was a signal that the crowd of 54,331 was not likely to see anything spectacular.
Until, that is, fullback Maicon produced a vintage bit of Brazilian magic 10 minutes into the second half.
Taking a pass from Elano in midfield and controlling the ball right at the end line, he fired a right-foot shot that flew between North Korean goalkeeper Ri Myong Guk and his near post and swerved into the net behind him.
It was altogether extraordinary.
The angle was virtually nonexistent. It was a shot that only a Brazilian would try — or perhaps a Dutchman or a Spaniard — an improbable and audacious effort that received its just reward. The goal will be replayed throughout the 2010 World Cup and possibly beyond. It’s already on YouTube.
It was also the goal that put Brazil on its way to a 2-1 victory that propelled Coach Dunga’s team to the top of Group G and left North Korea at the bottom. Portugal and the Ivory Coast, who tied, 0-0, earlier in the day in Durban, occupy the middle ground.
That’s very likely the way the first round is going to end up as well, at least according to Portugal Coach Carlos Queiroz.
“People call this ‘the group of death,’ ” he said. “With respect to North Korea, there are three teams playing for two places.”
But it would be wrong to dismiss the Asian team so casually. North Korea’s players were not in the least bit intimidated by the fact that they were up against a team light years ahead of them in both experience and ability. Not to mention salary.
In fact, for the first 45 minutes, they played Brazil almost evenly. And they didn’t wear gloves either.
True, North Korea packed its defense, but it did venture out into the larger world on occasion.
Japanese-based forward Jong Tae Se and Russia-based forward Hong Yong Jo kept the Brazilian defense on its toes and the North Koreans, to their credit, did not sit back in their own half and simply defend.
In the second half, however, the game gradually swung Brazil’s way. Maicon’s goal released a lot of anxiety, giving the players a bit more self-belief after they had run out of ideas while running at North Korea in the opening 45 minutes.
“The opener is always harder,” Dunga said. “There is anxiety, the players are more nervous than usual, trying to do too much.”
Robinho was the only player, in fact, that the predominantly Brazil-supporting crowd was not booing when the teams left the field at halftime. He showed some dazzling footwork and was not unwilling to pull the trigger when he saw an opening.
It was Robinho who created Brazil’s second goal in the 72nd minute when he threaded a pass through the North Korean defense. Elano ran onto the ball and side-footed it into lower left corner of the net.
The biggest surprise of the night, one that warmed the hearts if not the fingers of the small contingent of North Korean fans in the crowd, came in the next-to-last minute of regulation.
A crisp interchange between three players ended with Ji Yun Nam beating a couple of Brazilian defenders and darting into the penalty area before lifting the ball over diving goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
The astonishment and happiness on Ji’s face was almost enough to warm the stadium. But not as much as an afternoon game and a little sunshine would have done.
“I thought we fought bravely,” North Korea Coach Kim Jong Hun said. “We defended very well. I think we gained a lot of experience and, for the remaining two games, we have gained confidence.”
