Brazil look like they have plenty left in the tank

GROUP G: BRAZIL 3, IVORY COAST 1:A DECENT sized name will exit this group by the end of the week but the biggest is safely through to the last 16 and neither of their supposed rivals have done much really to suggest they would be all that great a loss to the tournament.

Brazil, their media keep on complaining back home, are intent on doing no more than they have to in order to progress but if that is the case then they have certainly done it with admirable efficiency in their opening two games.

While the five times champions eased their way into the knockout stages with a comfortable win last night, the Ivory Coast’s hopes of avoiding first round elimination were seriously dented by a tame defeat. If Portugal can beat North Korea this afternoon then they might just find that part of Dunga’s plan for global domination includes a fair bit of player rotation in Durban next Friday.

One change he will have to make is to replace Kaka for the Real Madrid star was dismissed a little harshly late on after a clash with Kader Keita that really didn’t look to have anywhere near as much to it as the Ivorian let on.

Keita, indeed, made quite a meal of things even if Kaka did raise an arm slightly to block the Galatasary striker as he ran towards him from behind. A number of scuffles then broke out as some of his team-mates reacted to what, presumably, they must have believed to have been a nastier foul. All of which may just have helped to nudge the match officials towards the showing of a second yellow to the striker.

The Brazilians were certainly aggrieved afterwards but Dunga is unlikely to be overly concerned. The coach stuck with the team that started against North Korea and he was rewarded with an assured performance in which the team’s top scorer during qualifying, Luis Fabiano, hit his stride in front of goal.

Kaka, meanwhile, will get no more than a one-match ban and will be safely back by the time his side needs to win again, possibly against Spain in the second round.

With a good deal of justification, Sven Goran Eriksson complained afterwards that the Seville striker’s second goal involved some fairly blatant hand ball and the Swede bemoaned the fact that the goal had effectively killed off his side’s chances of hauling themselves back into the game.

“I don’t think they should complain,” he said. “I think they are very lucky. It’s difficult to cope with Luis Fabiano but it’s even more difficult when he’s allowed to use his hands and it happened not once but twice (in the build-up that second goal).

“As for Kaka, he pushed Keita. It wasn’t too bad but he did push him, that’s for sure. And it wasn’t a red card, it was a second yellow and so I don’t think they should complain.”

For all of that, though, his side were always second best over the course of the contest and even the unhappy Brazilian press corps would probably acknowledge that their team could have stepped up a gear or two had the situation required it.

Having gone three up thanks to two fine goals by their main striker – the first a powerful strike from close range after some neat build up work behind him, the second a wonderful solo effort, albeit involving at least one touch with his arm – and a simple third by Elano after good work by Kaka out on the left, they certainly eased up, and rarely looked likely to further extend their lead.

By the time Drogba finally beat the offside trap to pull one back there were only 11 minutes left and Kaka’s dismissal came three minutes from the end. So, while Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar was obliged to make a couple of decent stops late on, the prospect of him being beaten another couple of times always seemed remote.

Eriksson’s evident caution in fielding a five-man midfield and so leaving Drogba fairly stranded up front by himself, didn’t look to help his side’s cause. The desire to contain the Brazilians is understandable but the striker was always unlikely to single-handedly run riot against a defence this good.

Aruna Dindane did provide some decent support, getting behind Michel Bastos on a couple of occasions to deliver searching crosses but Drogba’s Chelsea team-mate, Saloman Kalou, was terribly anonymous and so the Brazilian centre backs were effectively able to concentrate their efforts on just one opponent.

As it had always been likely to be, however, the bigger problem for the recently drafted in manager had been the limitations of the Ivorian defence. They simply weren’t a match for the attacking talents of the South Americans.

The question for their main title rivals now, is whether theirs would be capable of doing much better.

SOCCER CITY: HOW THEY LINED OUT

SUBSTITUTES: Dani Alves for Elano (67 mins), Ramires for Robinho (90 mins).

SCORER: Fabiano 25, 50, Elano 62

BOOKED: Kaka

SENT OFF: Kaka

SUBSTITUTES: Gervinho for Dindane (54 mins), Keita for Kalou (68 mins), Romaric for Eboue (72 mins).

SCORER: Drobba 79

BOOKED: Tiene, Keita, Tiote.