Italy v Brazil

The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website | home

Italy v Brazil

Brazil Edge Italy As Both Advance

by Jeremy Ruane

Brazil edged Italy 1-0 in a compelling encounter at the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals in front of 21,669 fans at the Stade de Hainaut in Valenciennes on June 18, with both teams advancing to the last sixteen as a result, the Italians as group winners.

With both teams needing a result to be certain of securing their passage into the knockout phase of the competition, there was no holding back from either side during this encounter, and the world witnessed an attack-laden duel as a result.

It was all Brazil to begin with, but the first chance fell to Italy in the fifth minute. Valentina Giacinti sparked the move with a turn and charge which culminated in her playing in Barbara Bonansea, cutting in off the left. She unleashed a low drive which was arrowing towards the bottom near corner before Barbara turned it to safety.

Back came Brazil with a barrage of corners, Marta's seventeenth minute delivery prompting a brilliant back-heeled flick at the near post from Debinha which drew a marvelous reflex save from Laura Giuliani as she tipped the ball over the bar.

She then turned Marta's next delivery onto the crossbar, with Cristiane roaring in in an attempt to head the ball home. Cue another corner from the six-time FIFA Women's Player of the Year, this time beyond the far post where Kathellen was flying in. Her header flashed past the upright.

Still Brazil pressed, Ludmila's deep cross being headed back across goal by Debinha for Cristiane, only for Elena Linari to get in a telling headed clearance. Debinha - another lively game from her - thundered a twenty yarder narrowly past the post following a partially cleared free-kick.

Italy came desperately close to breaking the deadlock in the 24th minute. Bonansea fed the overlapping figure of Valentina Cernoia - Italy's best - who cut in off the right before unleashing a sumptuous curling effort from the edge of the area which only just missed creeping in at the far post, with Barbara watching on hoping that she'd got her angles right.

After Giacinti - another to shine in a game which encouraged players to perform - had seen her shot blocked by Monica, the offside flag ruled out a goal for Cristiana Girelli on the half-hour mark, much to the Italians' chagrin.

They went close again soon afterwards, Cernoia's cross picking out the head of Lenari, only for Kathellen to block her goalbound effort to safety. Aurora Galli then played a teasing ball in behind Brazil's rearguard hoping that Giacinti would get to it before Barbara, but alas for Italy, the goalkeeper won the race.

Seven minutes before half-time, Brazil had penalty claims rebuffed when Cristiane's header struck the back of Linari's arm in the area. The officials were unmoved, so Cristiane had to find another way to score, and nearly did two minutes later, sliding in but just failing to thwart Guiliani's hurried clearance.

It sparked a slick counter-attack which was led by

Cernoia, who careered deep into Brazil's half before feeding the overlapping Alia Guagni. Her cross was met on the volley by Bonansea, but she directed it straight at Barbara - anywhere else, the Italians would have been celebrating taking the lead.

Brazil took the game to their rivals in the second half, with Andressinha hitting the bar with a twenty yard free-kick before delivering another set-piece into the danger zone which Kathellen headed narrowly wide.

Cristiane then made way for Beatriz, whose first involvement was a deft back-heeled flick of Ludmila's low cross which careered across the face of goal in the 66th minute of a contest in which Marta turned on the magic twenty minutes from time.

Her initial lobbed pass to Beatriz proved unsuccessful, but that which she delivered to Debinha invited the speedster to let fly on the volley. She didn't connect cleanly, however, allowing Giuliani to save to her left.

Debinha had much more to offer, however, and in the 73rd minute, her hard-charging run into the penalty area was curtailed in obstructive fashion by Linari. Mexican referee Lucila Venegas instantly pointed to the penalty spot, from where Marta sent Giuliani the wrong way to give Brazil the lead.

Italy immediately pressed for an equaliser, with Sara Gama's free-kick seeking out substitute Maura as she burst through the middle. Barbara hesitated at first, but eventually made a timely clearance outside her penalty area.

Cue another Italian raid, Galli the architect of a move which briefly foundered an attempted headed clearance by Kathellen, only for Brazil's tallest defender to head the ball across goal straight into the path of substitute Valentina Bergamaschi, who was sliding in but could only direct the ball straight into Barbara's hands.

Brazil's custodian made a flying save to her left to prevent Manuela Giugliano from snatching a draw with virtually the last kick of the match, which concluded with both sides in joyous mood, with each having advanced to the last sixteen which producing one of the best games of the tournament thus far.

The Italians, despite this defeat, finished top of the group, but Brazil, who began the game in second place, finished third despite winning, Australia's superior goal difference following their win over Jamaica pushing the South Americans into a mouth-watering match-up against either France or Germany in the round of sixteen.

Brazil: Barbara; Leticia Santos (booked, 12) (Poliana, 76), Kathellen (booked, 90), Monica, Tamires; Andressinha, Thaisa, Marta (Luana, 83); Ludmila, Cristiane (Beatriz, 65), Debinha

Italy: Giuliani; Guagni, Gama, Linari, Bartoli (booked, 15) (Boattin, 71); Galli, Giugliano, Cernoia; Giacinti (Bergamaschi, 63), Girelli (Mauro, 78), Bonansea

Referee: Lucila Venegas (Mexico)

Group Matches