Brazil v. Korea Republic

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Brazil Prove Too Strong For Plucky Koreans

by Jeremy Ruane

Korea Republic gave Brazil more than a good run for their money at Montreal's Olympic Stadium on June 9, but it was the South Americans who prevailed 2-0 in this FIFA Women's World Cup Finals encounter, setting a couple of competition goalscoring records in the process.

Brazil set their stall out early in front of a disappointing crowd just 10,175-strong - the lowest attendance at any of the venues so far. Fabiana - she had a superb match - unleashed a thirty yard firecracker which crashed against the crossbar, the noise from the rebound only being drowned out by the din being generated by the Korean fans, who provided their team with tremendous support throughout proceedings.

They were delighted again two minutes later when a timely tackle by Seoyeon Shim denied Fabiana in the penalty area, as the overlapping fullback latched onto a through ball from the formidable figure of Formiga, who was later named FIFA's Player of the Match.

Korea's response should have resulted in their being awarded a penalty in the sixth minute, Younga Yoo going down under Fabiana's challenge. Swiss referee Esther Staubli awarded the attacking team a corner, a decision which was roundly booed by the Korean fans, even more so when the incident appeared on the screen.

From the resulting corner, Gaeul Jeon - Korea's best-performed player on the night - pinged in a cross which Yumi Kang met with a header. Brazilian goalkeeper Luciana grabbed the ball greedily to deny the Asian side the early goal they were clearly seeking.

Brazil soon forced a series of corners, one of which resulted in Monica's twenty yard drive deflecting to safety off a defender. Another culminated in Cristiane sending a twenty-yarder sizzling inches over the bar after yet more Fabiana industry on the right.

In the 22nd minute, Cristiane was just inches away from getting on the end of Andressa's through ball, after Fabiana had outpaced the Korean defence. Soon after, the lethal number eleven stole a march on the left flank before working the ball inside to Andressa Alves. She played a one-two with Marta before seeing her curling effort cannon to safety off the face of Shim, who had a fine game at the heart of Korea's defence.

After Jeon's corner had been missed by all bar Korean captain Sohyun Cho, off whose knee the ball ricocheted past the post, the goal Brazil had threatened finally materialised. And the creator supreme, Cristiane, was at its heart.

The Brazilian number eleven took on the Korean defence and weaved her way through four of them before Doyeon Kim intervened. But under pressure from Cristiane, the defender under-hit her back-pass - not the smartest thing to do when Formiga is lurking on your blindside.

The veteran midfielder swooped on the sphere in an instant, and deftly steered it home beyond Jungmi Kim to re-write FIFA Women's World Cup Final history - she became the oldest scorer in the Finals, at the age of 37.

Four minutes later, it was Brazil's turn to feel miffed by referee Staubli's refusal to award a penalty. Andressa sent Fabiana storming down the right once more, her cross this time going behind Andressa Alves just as she was hauled down by Shim. Quite how a defensive free-kick came to be awarded from this incident defied logic!

Another Fabiana raid three minutes before half-time culminated in a cross which Cristiane, rising between defenders, headed narrowly over the bar. It was the last act of note in the first half, but a hint of what was to come immediately after half-time,

when Brazil swiftly went through the gears and raised their game significantly in an effort to double their advantage.

Within sixty seconds of the resumption, Kim did well to gather ahead of Cristiane, after Andressa had led the charge down the right and crossed to the near post. Three minutes later, a delightful one-two between Marta and Cristane saw the former bring Andressa Alves into play. Cristiane was mere inches away from heading home her resulting cross from six yards.

A splendid fingertip save by Kim turned a fifteen-yard grasscutter from Tamires round the post in the fiftieth minute, while from the resulting corner, Fabiana danced her way through a couple of challenges before deftly back-heeling the ball into the stride of Andressa Alves, who directed a curler straight at Kim, much to the 'keeper's relief.

She wasn't so happy a minute later, however, as Cho brought down Formiga in the area. Referee Staubli this time didn't hesitate in pointing to the spot, from where Marta doubled Brazil's advantage, and created yet more FIFA Women's World Cup history - she is now the all-time-leading goalscorer in the history of the Finals, with fifteen … and counting!

That goal gave Brazil some welcome breathing space, and they needed it, because Korea came storming back at them in an effort to get on the board. A Jeon free-kick wasn't cleared, but Hyeri Kim's looping header wasn't good enough to beat Luciana.

Jeon then only just failed to get on the end of a Eunmi Lee cross in the 64th minute, while Monica's intervention was required to thwart the lively midfielder soon afterwards, as Brazil found themselves under the cosh to some extent.

Andressa's bid to relieve that pressure saw her twenty-five yarder clear the crossbar in the 65th minute, but Korea persisted, Soyun Ji luring Luciana out of goal before setting up Jeon, only for Fabiana to save the day for Brazil with a despairing lunge to block a goalbound shot to safety.

After Thaisa had gone down in the area under Hyeri Kim's challenge - Brazil's penalty appeals were once more in vain - the Brazilian belted a twenty-yarder inches over the bar, much to the relief of Jungmi Kim, who hadn't seen a great deal of the ball since Marta fired home from the spot.

Kang squandered a great chance to pull a goal back for Korea ten minutes from time, after Ji's jinking run past three defenders across the penalty area. Brazil countered immediately, Andressa Alves linking with the charging figure of Formiga, who was aided by Marta's defence-drawing run as she slipped a pass to Cristiane.

Unselfishly, the striker looked to tee up Marta for a tap-in on the far post, but Lee produced a quite stunning tackle to deny the five-time FIFA Women's Player of the Year with the goal yawning invitingly - it was a terrific piece of defending.

And one which inspired Korea to lay siege to Brazil's goal at the remaining minutes. Luciana saved at the feet of Kang, who had been played in by Jeon, while Ji rifled a twenty-five yarder narrowly over the bar before some desperate Brazilian defending snuffed out Korea's hopes of netting a goal their efforts deserved, the final whistle confirming a 2-0 win for the South Americans, who should go on to win this group quite comfortably.

Brazil: Luciana; Fabiana, Monica, Rafaelle (Gessica, 82), Tamires; Formiga, Andressa (Raquel Fernandes, 82), Thaisa; Marta, Cristiane, Andressa Alves (Rafaela, 90)

Korea Rep.: J. Kim; H. Kim, D. Kim, Shim, E. Lee; Kwon (S. Lee, 77), Ji, Cho (booked, 52); Kang (Park, 90), Yoo (Jung, 67), Jeon

Referee: Esther Staubli (Switzerland)

2015 Draw