Brazil Gets a Scare Before Advancing, 4-3

As dramatic as Thursday night’s U.S. victory over Germany was, it didn’t come close to matching the theatrics of the game that followed.

The Women’s World Cup nightcap at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium was a game for the ages, a game in which underdog Nigeria came from three goals down to tie mighty Brazil, 3-3, in regulation.

The African champion, a team that was overwhelmed, 7-1, by the Americans in the first round, gave the South American champion the fright--and the fight--of its life before losing, 4-3, in sudden-death overtime.

Sepp Blatter, the FIFA president, doesn’t like the term “sudden death.” He prefers to call it a “golden goal.”

No matter the name, Sissi scored it. And it definitely was golden.

In the 104th minute, Brazilian speedster Maicon broke free down the left wing and was heading for goal when she was tripped from behind by Nigeria’s Adanna Nwaneri.

The foul occurred at least 25 yards out from the net and over toward the sideline. Surely, the Nigerians must have thought, the Brazilians would not be able to score from there.

Not many, no. But Sissi, yes.

The World Cup’s leading goal scorer lined up to take the free kick and sent the ball in a swerving, dipping trajectory that saw it clip the inside of the left post near the crossbar and rebound down into the net.

Goalkeeper Judith Chime had no chance. Sissi sprinted for the endline, pulling the famous yellow jersey of Brazil up over her head before being engulfed by ecstatic teammates. It was her tournament-high seventh goal and she dedicated it to Roseli, her fellow striker who missed the World Cup because of injury.

The Nigerians, who played as courageous a match as this tournament has seen, gathered in a huddle near the penalty spot and then left the field with their heads held high.

They might not have reached the final four, but they are the first African team to reach the quarterfinals in women’s world championship play and, more important, their three goal outburst earned them a place in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, at Russia’s expense.

Brazil started out as if the game was going to be an evening stroll, playing quick, one-touch soccer and building a 3-0 lead within 35 minutes on two goals by Cedinha and one by Nene.

It appeared to be all over for Nigeria, but the second half proved different.

“Sometimes, when you take a 3-0 lead in the first half, the natural tendency is to come back a little bit relaxed in the second half, and Nigeria took advantage of that,” Brazil Coach Wilson de Oliveira Rica said.

Prisca Emeafu cut the South Americans’ lead to 3-1 in the 63rd minute and Nigeria was in charge after that, attacking in wave after wave and looking nothing like it did against the U.S.

Nkiru Okosieme, the player who scored the own goal against the U.S., made up or that gaffe by scoring nine minutes later to make the score 3-2.

Suddenly, Nigeria had a chance and Brazil’s nerves were fraying.

They snapped in the 85th minute when Nkechi Egbe tied it up, but that was as far as Nigeria’s charge would carry it. Sudden death saw the end of the Africans’ remarkable comeback.