Rivaldo penalty caps Brazil comeback

FT Brazil 2 Turkey 1

Rivaldo converted an 87th-minute penalty to complete Brazil’s second-half comeback against Turkey in the Munsu Stadium.

The Turks had led through Hasan Sas’ strike in the second minute of first-half stoppage before Ronaldo equalised five minutes after the interval.

Aston Villa’s Alpay Ozalan was then dismissed for tugging back Luizao just inside the box and Rivaldo dispatched the penalty past Rustu Recber and then in the fourth minutes of stoppage time, Blackburn’s Hakan Unsal was sent off for kicking the ball at Rivaldo.

Turkey had certainly not been overawed and they nearly took the lead when the ball fell to Blackburn’s Tugay Kerimoglu on the edge of the Brazil box and his drive deflected off Gilberto Silva and skimmed the top of the bar.

Back came Brazil and Juninho went close from a neat move on the half hour mark.

Rivaldo laid off Cafu’s right-wing cross for Ronaldo, who fed the ex-Middlesbrough star on the edge of the area and he let fly with a left-foot shot which whizzed just wide.

Alpay then felt he should have had a penalty when he went down under a challenge from Edmilson as he tried to get on the end of a Sas free-kick.

As half-time approached, Brazil stepped up the pressure only to find Rustu Recber in no mood to be beaten.

The Fenerbahce goalkeeper is being tipped for a summer move to one of Europe’s top leagues and it is not hard to see why.

First he made a brilliant save with his right hand to keep out Rivaldo’s close-range header. He then denied Rivaldo, again, Roberto Carlos and Ronaldinho in quick succession.

His saves became all the more important when in the second minute of first-half stoppage time, Bayer Leverkusen’s Yildiray split open the Brazilian defence with a brilliant diagonal pass to Hasan on the left and he fired home left-footed.

Brazil levelled within five minutes of the second half. Bulent Korkmaz blocked Ronaldo’s initial effort and seconds later when Rivaldo sent over a perfect outswinging cross from the left, the Inter Milan star steered the ball home.

The goal clearly lifted him and he was denied a second when Rustu held his curling right-foot shot.

Turkey tried to respond and a drive from Hakan Unsal was held by Marcos at the second attempt.

But it was Brazil who were in the ascendancy and Rustu saved a stabbed effort from Lucio before he kept out a Juninho shot.

Rivaldo did put the ball in the back of the net in the 62nd minute, but it was ruled out for offside.

The Barcelona star tried again, this time from 30 yards out, and his drive whistled narrowly over the bar.

In the final hectic few minutes, Alpay was sent off for tugging back Luizao and Rivaldo converted the penalty.

There was still time for Hakan Unsal to get himself dismissed for stupidly kicking the ball at Rivaldo, even if the Brazilian made a meal of the incident.