Brazil wait for knockout qualification
19 Jun 2014 11:37 PM GMT
Hosts and World Cup favourites Brazil were on Tuesday left to wait for their knock-out round qualification with a stubborn Mexico holding them to a goal-less draw on the sixth day of the showpiece event.
Brazil would have booked a round of 16 berth had they beaten Mexico but little known goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa produced at least two stunning saves in a heroic display to deny the Selecao a win in a high-voltage Group A clash here.
Superstar Neymar, who scored two goals in Brazil’s 3-1 opening match win against Croatia, had plenty of the ball and made some threatening runs into the rival box under hot and humid conditions at Estadio Castelao. But ultimately, the five-time champions failed to break down the stubborn Mexican defence and the seemingly impenetrable wall thrown around their goal by Ochoa. Mexico survived the grinding offence from Brazil and frustrated the hosts’ march to the second round. After the draw, Brazil and Mexico occupy to top spot in Group A on four points each. The group, which also has Croatia and Cameroon as other teams, is now wide open.
In the last fixture of the day, South Korea held Russia 1-1 in another drawn match in the same group under hot and humid conditions at Cuiaba. Alexander Kerzhakov rescued Russia in their first World Cup finals match since 2002, scoring three minutes after coming on as substitute. The Zenit St Petersburg striker was brought on after rival substitute Lee Keun-Ho put South Korea ahead with a 30 metre shot that Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev disastrously parried over his head into the net. The result left both countries, with one point each, trailing Belgium who head the Group H table with three points.
But, Tuesday’s talking point was the heroics by Ochoa who denied Neymar and Co. a win at the same venue where Brazil had beaten Mexico 2-0 last yeat in the Confederation’s Cup. Brazil dominated the first half with more possession and applied pressure mostly from the left through Marcelo, Oscar and Neymar trying to break down the Mexico defence. The first chance for Brazil came in the 14th minute with Marcelo breaking down and trying to get the ball across the Mexican box. Fred and Paulinho had half-chances, but neither could find the target. Mexico sat back defending for most part of the first half but 24th minute saw Hector Herrera finding space to smash the ball towards the Brazil goal only to be tipped over by goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
Neymar was denied a goal in the 26th minute as his header off a Dani Alves cross was palmed away by Ochoa diving to his right in one of the most fabulous saves in the World Cup so far. Ochoa was at it again when he somehow was at the right position to block a Thiago Silva header off a Neymar free kick minutes before the final whistle.
We’re getting better despite draw: Scolari
Fortaleza: Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said that the World Cup hosts had reason to be satisfied with their performance despite being held to a 0-0 Group A draw by Mexico. The Selecao struggled to break down the Mexican backline at the Castelao Stadium yesterday, and when they did they came undone against inspired goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who made three stunning saves, two to deny Neymar and one from a late Thiago Silva header.
But Scolari was bullish in front of the press, emphasising that Brazil remain on course to qualify for the last 16, with the Mexico draw following their opening 3-1 win against Croatia in Sao Paulo. ‘In my opinion, it’s my own, not that of the critics, the team played better than they did against Croatia. There was at least an extra 10 per cent than what there was against Croatia. The team has evolved. We can still improve, but we can still qualify for the next round. We showed quality, so I am satisfie,’ he said.
Cameroon and Croatia meet in another Group A game in Manaus today, but regardless of what happens in that encounter, Brazil know a win against Cameroon in Brasilia on June 23 will secure their place in the knockout phase.
‘Brazilians are mad enough to believe that the others are not playing for anything. Mexico played more or less the same game as us. They had just about the same amount of possession, and the same number of shots on goal. The result wasn’t what we wanted but the only thing missing for us was a goal,’ the coach added.
The most encouraging aspect of the performance for Brazil came at the back, where captain Silva was more like his usual commanding self alongside David Luiz. ‘With each game that goes by we are evolving in different respects, but people start to have doubts when you don’t get a victory to go along with that evolution,’ said Silva, the Paris Saint-Germain centre-back.
Brazil would have booked a round of 16 berth had they beaten Mexico but little known goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa produced at least two stunning saves in a heroic display to deny the Selecao a win in a high-voltage Group A clash here.
Superstar Neymar, who scored two goals in Brazil’s 3-1 opening match win against Croatia, had plenty of the ball and made some threatening runs into the rival box under hot and humid conditions at Estadio Castelao. But ultimately, the five-time champions failed to break down the stubborn Mexican defence and the seemingly impenetrable wall thrown around their goal by Ochoa. Mexico survived the grinding offence from Brazil and frustrated the hosts’ march to the second round. After the draw, Brazil and Mexico occupy to top spot in Group A on four points each. The group, which also has Croatia and Cameroon as other teams, is now wide open.
In the last fixture of the day, South Korea held Russia 1-1 in another drawn match in the same group under hot and humid conditions at Cuiaba. Alexander Kerzhakov rescued Russia in their first World Cup finals match since 2002, scoring three minutes after coming on as substitute. The Zenit St Petersburg striker was brought on after rival substitute Lee Keun-Ho put South Korea ahead with a 30 metre shot that Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev disastrously parried over his head into the net. The result left both countries, with one point each, trailing Belgium who head the Group H table with three points.
But, Tuesday’s talking point was the heroics by Ochoa who denied Neymar and Co. a win at the same venue where Brazil had beaten Mexico 2-0 last yeat in the Confederation’s Cup. Brazil dominated the first half with more possession and applied pressure mostly from the left through Marcelo, Oscar and Neymar trying to break down the Mexico defence. The first chance for Brazil came in the 14th minute with Marcelo breaking down and trying to get the ball across the Mexican box. Fred and Paulinho had half-chances, but neither could find the target. Mexico sat back defending for most part of the first half but 24th minute saw Hector Herrera finding space to smash the ball towards the Brazil goal only to be tipped over by goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
Neymar was denied a goal in the 26th minute as his header off a Dani Alves cross was palmed away by Ochoa diving to his right in one of the most fabulous saves in the World Cup so far. Ochoa was at it again when he somehow was at the right position to block a Thiago Silva header off a Neymar free kick minutes before the final whistle.
We’re getting better despite draw: Scolari
Fortaleza: Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said that the World Cup hosts had reason to be satisfied with their performance despite being held to a 0-0 Group A draw by Mexico. The Selecao struggled to break down the Mexican backline at the Castelao Stadium yesterday, and when they did they came undone against inspired goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who made three stunning saves, two to deny Neymar and one from a late Thiago Silva header.
But Scolari was bullish in front of the press, emphasising that Brazil remain on course to qualify for the last 16, with the Mexico draw following their opening 3-1 win against Croatia in Sao Paulo. ‘In my opinion, it’s my own, not that of the critics, the team played better than they did against Croatia. There was at least an extra 10 per cent than what there was against Croatia. The team has evolved. We can still improve, but we can still qualify for the next round. We showed quality, so I am satisfie,’ he said.
Cameroon and Croatia meet in another Group A game in Manaus today, but regardless of what happens in that encounter, Brazil know a win against Cameroon in Brasilia on June 23 will secure their place in the knockout phase.
‘Brazilians are mad enough to believe that the others are not playing for anything. Mexico played more or less the same game as us. They had just about the same amount of possession, and the same number of shots on goal. The result wasn’t what we wanted but the only thing missing for us was a goal,’ the coach added.
The most encouraging aspect of the performance for Brazil came at the back, where captain Silva was more like his usual commanding self alongside David Luiz. ‘With each game that goes by we are evolving in different respects, but people start to have doubts when you don’t get a victory to go along with that evolution,’ said Silva, the Paris Saint-Germain centre-back.
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