FRANCE 98 – Match Summary n°18
Ronaldo, back to his deadly best, scored a a superb goal and created another as Brazil overwhelmed Morocco 3-0 on Tuesday night to ignite the World Cup finals and become the first team to qualify for the second round.
Rivaldo and Bebeto also found the net in the Group A match at the La Beaujoire stadium as Brazil stayed on target for a fifth World Cup title with a performance of considerable quality and conviction. The defending champions, who have competed in every one of the 16 tournaments, came up with a performance that must have sent shivers down the spines of any future opponents of the Samba Kings.
Morocco, who had played some inspired football in their opening 2-2 draw with Norway, failed to get to grips with the pace and precision of the Brazilian game. Captain Dunga was the puppet master, Leonardo and Rivaldo were full of ideas and running in midfield and Ronaldo was simply awesome when it mattered.
” I’m especially pleased bacause we have secured top place in the group and that was our primary objective, “ said Brazil coach Mario Zagallo. ” I’m not suprised we are improving. I expected it. We played happy football tonight. We were a lot more joyful and a lot more efficient. “
Brazil retained their unbeaten record in all 13 matches they have played against African opposition at full international level. They scored their second straight win after beating Scotland 2-1 in their tournament opener, while Morocco face an uphill struggle to qualify after a draw and a loss. Brazil head the group with six points, Norway have two and Morocco and Scotland, who still have to face each other, one each. ” We still have a mathematical chance of qualifying, but we need Brazil to beat Norway and for us to beat Scotland, “ said Morocco’s French coach Henri Michel.
Ronaldo, who hadn’t scored for three internationals-a rare drought for such a prolific marksman-quickly put the Brazilians in command with a strike of beauty and simplicity after just nine minutes. Rivaldo collected the ball from Dunga and then struck a superb through ball that split the Moroccan defence wide open. Ronaldo, timing his run perfectly, ran onto the pass and hammered it right-footed on the half volley from just inside the penalty area, giving goalkeeper Driss Benzekri no chance.
Rivaldo scored the second in the 45th minute after a fine build-up and Bebeto made it 3-0 five minutes after the break-thanks to Ronaldo’s pace and unselfishness-to kill off any chance of a Moroccan renaissance. Ronaldo’s opener was not the first time time Brazilians had threatened. Leonardo had a goal disallowed for offside after only a couple of minutes and Ronaldo audaciously chipped Benzekri from close to 40 metre out but saw his effort drift wide. The Brazilians moved the ball wide at every opportunity and relished the space they were able to create.
There was an uncomfortable moment for the world champions after 17 minutes when Ronaldo needed treatment to his left thigh after a wild challenge from Said Chiba, but the striker was soon back in action and only narrowly failed to get on the end of a fiercely-driven cross-shot from Roberto Carlos. Benzekri then had to move smartly off his line to beat Bebeto to a through ball. The Moroccan frustration showed when Abdeljilil Hadda was cautioned for a foul on Cafu and the North Africans were able to produce no more than a couple of half chances before the Brazilians struck again.
On the stroke of halftime, Leonardo, Bebeto and Cafu combined with some superb passing and Cafu’s low cross from the right was steered into the net by Rivaldo. Cafu, revelling in the space on the right, was a constant thorn in Morocco’s side. His corner four minutes earlier had caused chaos in the defence when Benzekri completely missed his punch. The ball was eventually scrambled away for a corner.
Mustapha Hadji, playing with broken toe, was dangerous for the Moroccans, while Yussef Chippo was through on goal in the 36th minute when he appeared to trip over in his excitement; although eccentric Russian referee Nikolai Levnikov awarded a free kick, which was subsequently squandered, and cautioned Cesar Sampaio. The midfielder will miss Brazil’s next game after racking up his second caution of the tournament, while Chiba will miss Morocco’s game with Scotland after his second caution.
Bebeto destroyed any lingering Moroccan hopes of victory soon after the break. Ronaldo won the ball from the dozy Abdelilah Saber on the right and set off for goal at breakneck speed. Rather than shooting, he squared the ball for Bebeto to stab it home. From that point on the game was an exhibition with the Brazilians putting on a clinic of touch and control. Their sole weakness appeared the lack of pace among their centrebacks and Junior Baiano earned a late yellow card for his foul on Hadda.
Morocco, playing in their fourth World Cup finals, had qualified undefeated for France 98 but simply had to answer to the Brazilians’ dominance. Michel, returning to his hometown-where he won three French League titles as a player with FC Nantes-had said before the match that his players had a mountain to climb against the world champions; and so it proved. ” We made a catastrophic start to the match, but Brazil used extraordinary technique to monopolise the ball, “ Michel said.
Michel had enjoyed previous successes against Brazil both as a player and a coach, but this defeat was a repeat of the 3-0 loss his Cameroon team suffered against the Brazilians in the first round of the 1994 World Cup.