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Group A - Brazil-Morocco, Brazil crushes Morocco with ease |
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The defending World Cup champions had gotten an earful about Morocco's "Brazilian-style" soccer. So Ronaldo and company went out and showed the disciples how it's done.
With artistry and cool efficiency, Brazil dispatched the Atlas Lions 3-0 Tuesday night to clinch first place in Group A with six points. Norway, which tied Scotland 1-1 earlier Tuesday, has two points, while Morocco and Scotland have one.
"When we relax, the results start coming," said Cafu. "We knew we'd gather momentum once the Cup started, and that's what's happening."
Ronaldo, who did everything but score in a 2-1 win over Scotland, broke the ice in the ninth minute for his first World Cup goal. Then he set up Bebeto for the third Brazil score.
But that hardly measured the torment he caused the Lions defense with a variety of dribbles, passes and near-misses.
With two games, two wins, the first berth in the second round -- for the second straight World Cup-- what else could Brazil ask for? Defensive consistency? Showtime? Got that, too.
After working all week on coverages, the Brazilian defense stiffened and kept the agile Moroccan strikers out of the danger zone. Goalie Taffarel didn't make a save all night.
"We played joyful, sparkling and efficient soccer," said coach Mario Zagallo. "I'm happy with everything: the defense, the midfield and the attack."
The Brazilian party started early at Beaujoire Stadium in this northwestern river port. The 40,000 fans were treated to a festival of Brazil's green-and-yellow jerseys, face paint and glitter wigs, dabbed with splashes of Moroccan red.
What would be a long evening for the Lions began in the second minute, when Rivaldo sent Leonardo in on a breakaway, but his apparent goal was called back for offsides.
Five minutes later, Rivaldo tried to catch goalie Driss Benzekri napping with a long shot from midfield. This one went high.
But in the ninth minute, Rivaldo found Ronaldo streaking up the middle. The two-time FIFA Player of the Year took a step and drilled a right-footed shot past the diving Benzekri to make it 1-0.
The Lions defense tried every way to shut down Ronaldo, even physically. In the 18th minute, Said Chiba came in cleats high, tearing Ronaldo's shorts and leaving an ugly bruise on his left thigh. But Russian referee Nikolai Levnikov let him off with a warning.
Brazilian coach Mario Zagallo refused to comment on the violence.
"That's FIFA's problem," he said.
In injury time, Bebeto found Cafu open on the right wing, and he sent a cross to Rivaldo that struck Benzekri's arm before going in for a 2-0 lead.
In the second period, Bebeto took over.
In the 47th minute, he slipped between two defenders for a header that Benzreki picked off in the corner.
Three minutes later, defender Abdelilah Saber stepped on the ball and Ronaldo picked it off. He blew in from the left side, stutter-stepped around a defender and fed Bebeto for the tap-in.
"We were not able to really enter the match until after the first 15 minutes, and by then, it was hard to catch up," said Morocco's Moustafa El Hadji.
