Argentina no match for four-midable Brazilians
Two goals from Adriano and one each from Ronaldinho and Kaka capped a superb performance from the World Cup holders.
Brazil took the lead in the 11th minute, with another demonstration of Adriano’s brute force and skill. After Cicinho had fed him a square pass the striker beat one defender before unleashing another of those left-footed bombs to beat German Lux.
Argentina were clearly stung at so early a reverse and Riquelme was not far wide as he tried to bend one in the top corner. It soon got worse for them however as Brazil doubled their lead with another moment of pure class. Kaka received from Robinho and took careful aim from outside the penalty area, finding the top corner of Lux’s net.
A Ronaldinho free-kick on 20 minutes almost had Gabriel Heinze heading into his own net. At the other end Riquelme was prompting effectively but Brazil always had enough men back.
Moments later the Argentine captain was booked for a dive in the Brazilian area and the half ended with a flurry of goal action. Kaka and Lucio both worried Lux while Javier Zanetti poked a shot into the side netting.
Within two minutes of the restart Brazil put themselves out of reach with a third goal. It punished lax defending from their opponents as Cicinho was able to skip around Sorin’s challenge and from his cross Ronaldinho was more alert than Fabricio Coloccini as he pounced to score.
It nearly became four as Luciano Figueroa back-headed a Ronaldinho cross onto the roof of his own net. It should have become 3-1 when a more positive header from Figueroa in the other penalty area set up Coloccini but the volley was too high.
Argentina had to push forward but that left them vulnerable to the breakaway. The action was coming thick and fast at both ends. Riquelme shot hard and low and Sorin could not take advantage. Then Robinho twisted and turned before firing an attempt against the bar. Back at the other end Figueroa was granted a generous amount of space at the far post but he miscued.
In the 63rd minute, it was game over when Cicinho produced another accurate cross and Adriano accepted the invitation to put away a free header. A four-goal drubbing was nothing short of an embarrassment for Pekerman’s team but at least they regained a little self-respect two minutes later when Pablo Aimar, who had replaced Esteban Cambiasso, dived full length to bravely head home Delgado’s centre.
: Dida, Maicon, Lucio, Roque Junior, Emerson, Gilberto, Adriano, Ronaldinho, Ze Roberto, Juninho, Renato.
: Lux, Sorin, Zanetti, Heinze, Tevez, Riquelme, Aimar, Placente, Colocinni, Bernardi, Galletti.
: Lubos Michel (Slovakia)
CAPTAIN Michael Ballack scored with a blistering free-kick in extra time to lead 10-man Germany to a 4-3 win over Mexico and claim third place in the Confederations Cup.
Ballack’s shot from just outside the box curled over the wall and beyond Mexican goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez seven minutes into extra time, giving Germany victory after Mexico had equalised three times in the opening 90 minutes.
Lukas Podolski, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Robert Huth scored for Germany. Jared Borgetti scored with two headers and Jose Fonseca got the other for Mexico, who were playing extra time for the second time in four days.
: Kahn, Hinkel, Huth, Frings, Hanke, Ballack, Asamoah, Ernst, Mertesacker, Schneider, Kuranyi.
: Sanchez, Salcido, Osorio, Zinha, Pardo, Borgetti, Marquez, Pineda, Medina, Rodriguez, Perez.
: M Breeze (Australia).
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