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COSTA RICA |
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Brazilians
Squeeze Into The Final After Victory Over
Costa Rica
A fabulous goal midway through the second
half quite out of keeping with a scrappy
match from Alan Kardec settled the game in
the favour of Brazil. Whilst the
pre-tournament favourites were far from the
fluid best, they go through to Friday's
final to meet Ghana in a repeat of the 1993
World Youth Championships final, which went
the way of the South Americans.
The opening minutes were somewhat cagey
between both sides, as both were missing key
first choice players, especially in defense.
In addition to that handicap, Costa Rica
were perhaps also painfully aware of the 5-0
hammering meted out to them in the first
group match by Brazil.
It took until just before the 15 minute mark
for Brazil to create any sort of significant
opening, which arrived via a dead-ball. An
initial free-kick was sent in on target
forcing Esteban Alvarado in the Costa Rican
goal into action to tip over the bar. The
resulting corner kick was met at the far
post by centre-back Rafael Toloi, but
despite enjoying time and space, the Goias
defender failed to get his low effort on
target.
That action seemed to spur Costa Rica into
action, and they showed that Brazil weren’t
the only team on the pitch capable of
creating something from a free-kick. David
Guzman sent a fizzing free-kick drive
through the middle, which obliged Renan in
the Brazilian goal to tip over for a corner.
The corner kick, like the one for Brazil
moments earlier, also represented an
excellent chance, which again was missed by
reserve right-back Ricardo Blanco at the far
post, letting the Seleaco off the hook after
some debatable defending.
Brazil gradually started to dominate
possession forcing tje Ticos back into
their own half, and obliging the Central
Americans to drop deep to cope with the
increasingly confident Brazilians. In stark
contrast to the first semi-final between
Ghana and Hungary, which was a riot of goal
mouth action, clear cut chances were
definitely at a premium in the second match.
After the brief flurry of action around the
quarter of an hour mark, the sparse crowd in
Cairo had to wait another 15 minutes for
Brazil to look remotely dangerous again;
Paulo Henrique, trying his luck from long
range with a low drive that drifted wide of
the target.
Brazil came close to breaking the dead-lock
on 40 minutes when right back Diego raided
forward down the flank, delivering an
interesting ball into the box. Arguably the
best Brazilian player at the tournament, so
far, Alex Teixeira rose to force the ball
goal-wards, but Alvarado in the Costa Rica
goal was well-placed to gather the ball into
his midriff.
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