Brazil Top Group F

Brazil made sure of first place in Group F as they came from behind to beat Japan 4-1 through goals from Ronaldo (2), Juninho Pernambucano and Gilberto in Dortmund on Thursday, 22 June 2006.

Brazil made sure of first place in Group F as they came from behind to beat Japan 4-1 through goals from Ronaldo (2), Juninho Pernambucano and Gilberto in Dortmund on Thursday, 22 June 2006.

Brazil Top Group F ảnh 1
Ronaldo celebrates after scoring. (Photo: FIFAworlcup.com)

The world champions can now look forward to a Round of 16 meeting with Ghana in Kaiserslautern on 26 June following their third straight victory at Germany 2006. For Japan, this was their second defeat in three matches and left them bottom of the section with one point.

The star of the show was Ronaldo, who scored his 13th and 14th FIFA World Cup goals to move level with German legend Gerd Muller as the tournament's all-time leading scorer. He headed Brazil level in first-half injury time to cancel out Keiji Tamada's fine 34th-minute opener for Japan.
Then, after Juninho Pernambucano (53 minutes) and Gilberto (59’) had struck superb goals to seize control of the match for Brazil, Ronaldo had the final word as he made it 4-1 nine minutes before the end.

The match

There were plenty of changes in the two sides’ line-ups. Notably, Zico plumped for a new strike partnership in Keiji Tamada and Seiichiro Maki, while Carlos Alberto Parreira brought in Robinho for Adriano and also promoted Gilberto, Juninho Penambucano, Gilberto Silva and Cicinho to the starting line-up.

7’: Brazil, already qualified, began the match intent on claiming the maximum nine points from the group. On the edge of the box, Ronaldo shimmied past his man but his left-foot shot was saved low down by Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi.

10’:Kaka then cut inside Nakata and shot just over from 20 yards.

11’:Robinho, finding himself on the left, stepped inside a challenge and gave Kawaguchi more work with another fine strike from the edge of the area.

15’:The holders were on fire. Twisting and turning on the edge of the box, Robinho brought another tip-over from Kawaguchi with a fierce left-footed shot.

20’: Bursting through the centre of the field, Ronaldinho fed Ronaldo, who again found room for the shot. Once more, Kawaguchi was equal to it, pulling off a fine save low to his left.

22’:Two minutes later and the Jubilo Iwata goalkeeper produced one of the saves of the tournament. Ronaldo laid the ball back to Juninho Pernambucano, whose rasping 20-yard drive seemed destined for the top of the net until Kawaguchi arched backwards and somehow got his fingertips to turn the ball over.

24’:Japan had offered little until then but they almost sneaked a goal when Gilberto Silva very nearly turned Akira Kaja’s cross into his own net after the right-back had been slipped in by Mitsuo Ogasawara.

34’:Zico’s men did not have to wait much longer, though. Alessandro Santos played a fine pass through to the unmarked Tamada who drilled his shot high into the net to spark pandemonium in the stands.

45+1’:However, just when it looked like Japan would carry the lead into the half-time break, Brazil struck. Ronaldinho crossed for Cicinho to head back across goal, where Ronaldo ghosted into space to nod home.

In the rhythm

51’:Brazil’s number nine should have scored his second after a wonderful interchange with Ronaldinho around the edge of the box, but the Real Madrid striker placed his shot inches wide.

53:Brazil, though, were soon ahead. Such was the power in Juninho's 25-yard drive that, even with Kawaguchi well placed, it dipped, swerved and sped away from his grasp.

59’:It was 3-1 not soon after. Ronaldinho sent Gilberto scampering through and the left-back coolly drilled his shot low into the far corner.
64’:The shots were raining in now. Robinho and Juninho both tried their luck from the edge of the box with efforts that were palmed away by the unprotected Kawaguchi.

66’:Robinho danced his way into the box but tried to tee up Ronaldo instead of shooting when he would have been forgiven for taking the more selfish option.

81’: The tournament's top scorer in 2002 finally scored his second of the game, combining well with Juan before turning sharply and curling a 20-yard shot into the bottom right-hand corner.

86’:Shunsuke Nakamura, who had been quiet for much of the game, bent a free-kick just wide as Japan tried for a consolation.

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