Romario Goal Gives Brazil Third Place

If the USA-Mexico match was the main attraction Sunday, the third-place game between Brazil and Jamaica was the animated cartoon that preceded it.

Or at least it would have been had the teams not been tired out from playing four games in little more than a week. As a result, the play was disjointed and only occasionally produced moments of true excitement at the Coliseum.

Jamaican goalkeeper Warren Barrett might dispute that, however, having had to face, as he did, all three of Brazil’s top strikers: Romario, Edmundo and Elber. Barrett shut out the Brazilians, 0-0, in the first round of the tournament and was again in top form.

He did well to stop a hard shot from Edmundo in the first half and in the second was forced into even more spectacular acrobatics to tip a header by Elber over the crossbar off a pass from Junior.

Brazil finally broke through in the 77th minute when Junior sent a pass into the penalty area, Donizete distracted goalkeeper Warren Barrett and the Jamaican defense by faking a shot before letting the ball roll through to Romario to score from close range.