Brazil 1-0 England
Stand-in captain Wayne Rooney was unable to save his team from defeat
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By Tom Powell. |  |
Saturday, 14, Nov 2009 10:55
By James Christie.
A strong Brazil team missed a penalty but gave a reminder of why they are World Cup favourites by beating a second-string England side 1-0 in a friendly in Quatar.
The goal Brazil's first-half dominance deserved came after 47 minutes when Nilmar headed home a superb 40-yard pass from former Manchester City player Elano.
They could have won by a greater margin had Fabiano not blasted a second-half penalty over the bar and a Lucio long-range shot not struck the post.
England were lucky that Ben Foster was not sent off for the professional foul which lead to the penalty award but did create some half chances to score.
Because of injuries England manager Fabio Capello was only able to field two players who are automatic first-team choices - Wayne Rooney and Gareth Barry being the men on hand to give the understudies some much-needed prompting.
Brazil, in contrast, fielded almost a full-strength side; largely the one which has qualified for South Africa with two games to spare and made them joint or outright World Cup favourites with most reputable bookmakers.
Partly as a result of England's lack of experience, Wayne Rooney, at just 24, was made captain for the evening. Only Bobby Moore and Michael Owen have worn the England skipper's armband at a younger age.
It only took Shaun Wright-Phillips two minutes to announce his presence on the right wing, losing but then regaining possession and tussling his way to the byline to put in a fine cross which Rooney very nearly reached.
Brazil enjoyed the greater possession in the early exchanges but it was a defensive lapse which gave them their first chance, Matthew Upson giving the ball away to Elano when out of position on the right touchline parallel to the six-yard box.
The West Ham man never looked like having the speed to catch Elano and recover possession and will have been relieved that the move fizzled out.
A few minutes later Kaka, picking up the ball in the centre circle, dribbled the ball through the heart of the England midfield and seemed intent on dribbling past the defence too. It was Wayne Bridge, despite failing to get goalside of Fabiano, who came up with a vital interception, to stop Kaka's pass leading to an opening goal.
Upson redeemed himself in the 20th minute with a Bobby Moore-style tackle on the edge of the penalty area as Brazil looked to run the ball into the net.
Long balls to Wright-Phillips on the right wing seemed to be the order of the day for England, the Manchester City winger's control only occasionally making the passes seem better than they were.
Brazil, with the rampaging Kaka dictating play, favoured a shorter passing game, allowing Bastos to shoot just wide from the edge of the penalty area.
Darren Bent, too often isolated up front, had a half-chance to snatch an unlikely England goal from a James Milner cross but his header was not as good as his jump and the ball sailed over the Brazil bar.
Squeals of delight from the crowd accompanied Kaka's every touch, such is the purpose the forward carries with the ball at his feet. A curling shot from him on the half-hour mark required an athletic save from Ben Foster. The superstar seems to have a strong supporting cast, with Nilmar and Maicon also threatening to score.
Rooney, showing an appetite for collecting the ball from deep positions, is the closest thing England have to Kaka. A push on his barrel-like chest seemed to warrant a free-kick on the edge of the area in the 36th minute, the captain dallying on the ball for too long when he received it from a corner moments later.
England ended the half strongly, less skilful than their opponents but just as wilful, the likes of Barry and Wes Brown muscling yellow-shirted players off the ball just often enough to interrupt the Brazilian rhythm.
But the samba beat increased in volume two minutes after half-time when an Elano pass a few footsteps beyond the centre circle, delivered with an accuracy an American Football quarterback would have been proud of, soared over Upson and Lescott to pick out the run of Nilmar parallel with the England penalty spot.
The Villarreal man used a flick of his head to almost pass the ball past Foster and into the net.
A second Brazil goal almost followed in the 54th minute when Elano shaped to cross but shot instead, Foster pawing the ball away as it threatened to creep in at his near post.
Two minutes later another high Brazilian pass into the penalty area caused havoc when a disinterested-looking Brown chested the ball into the path of the lurking Fabiano, who would have gone round Foster but for being brought down by the goalkeeper.
Foster was only shown a yellow card despite a professional foul identical to the one which saw Robert Green sent off for England in their last game. The keeper had a further stroke of luck when Fabiano's staggered penalty run-up was followed by a staggering miss over the crossbar.
But there was no disguising Brazil's superiority. Hulk came on as a Brazilian substitute, told to fill his boots against an England team desperately short of superheroes.
Milner's crosses were more like passes to Brazilian number one Julio Cesar as England persisted with a strategy of aerial assaults ill-suited to a team with a lack of forwards who can head the ball. But the Aston Villa winger did nearly grab an equaliser with a volley from a Wright-Phillips cross.
The move inspired ten minutes of England possession in the Brazilian half, ominously broken by a thunderbolt long-range shot from full-back Lucio which rattled the England post.
Rooney then hit a low shot into the hands of Cesar as England launched a break with some desperation.
Foster's sure handling of a bouncing shot five minutes from the end was a welcome reminder of a good goalkeeping performance - one which contributed to a slightly flattering scoreline.
Spurs substitutes Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch and Tom Huddlestone seemed to give the England attack more presence as the minutes ticked down. Their lack of minutes on the pitch will have done their chances of making the World Cup squad little harm, considering the thankless task the starting line-up faced against quality opposition.