Brazil progressed to the knockout stages of the World Cup
with an efficient rather than effervescent performance against a subdued
Ivory Coast.
The scoreline may suggest otherwise but the South
Americans lacked the vintage Brazilian sparkle - although they produced
moments of brilliance during an incident-packed second-half.
Luis Fabiano scored twice - a fine first-half strike, then a
second goal with a dubious hint of handball - and Elano slotted in
ahead of Didier Drogba's headed consolation.
But it
was a mixed evening for Brazil's playmaker Kaka, who was harshly sent
off late in the game after receiving two yellow cards in quick
succession.
Kaka saw yellow in the 85th minute for
pushing Yaya Toure and a minute later was sent from the field when
Abdelkader Keita collapsed holding his face after an innocuous collision
between the players which did not warrant a booking.
Prior
to that, Kaka - who in the build-up had been the focus of much
speculation regarding his lack of form - showed glimpses of the player
who was named World Footballer of the Year back in 2007.
He put Luis Fabiano through for the striker's
beautifully-taken opening goal and played a role in Elano's second-half
strike which sealed Brazil's victory.
Drogba, a mere
16 days after breaking his elbow, started for the Ivory Coast to
spearhead an attacking 4-3-3 formation, but the Africans added little
oomph to the proceedings.
The Elephants manager
Sven-Goran Eriksson had predicted his team would "create a surprise",
yet there was little hope of that as they defended deep and allowed
Brazil to play at their own pace.
There had been
signs over the last few days that the World Cup had moved up a gear, but
this game started with the tentativeness which had marred previous
matches.
Luis Fabiano's goal thankfully lit up the
first half. The Sevilla striker's back-heel to Kaka sparked a nice
one-two which finished with a venomous shot into the roof of the net
from an acute angle.
Ivory Coast changed their
formation after the break with Drogba playing on his own in front of a
five-man midfield, but they soon had a mountain to climb as Luis Fabiano
struck again.
The striker flicked the ball over one
defender, jinked beyond another to clinically finish with a left-footed
shot from close range. There was suspicion of handball in his final
movement but there were little complaints from Ivory Coast.
Brazil upped the tempo on the hour and Kaka should have
finished the best move of the match with a goal but instead he shot
straight at Boubacar Copa.
He made amends moments
later as he shimmied past a couple of defenders and passed across goal
for Elano to side-foot home for his second goal of the tournament.
Ten minutes before the end, Yaya Toure's ball over the top
found Drogba who headed home into the corner for a goal which could
prove to be significant to Ivory Coast's hopes of qualifying.