Brazil wriggle past North Korea

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Brazilian supporters had swarmed Ellis Park on Tuesday night in the freezing cold to see their team “hammer North Korea” in a Group G match. But the anticipated rout didn’t materialise as the Samba Boys could only scrape through to a 2-1 win.

It never was the Boys vs Men battle many pundits had predicted and at the end of the day, the five-time champions were relieved to have avoided an embarrassment.
The little soldiers from the reclusive Asian country hassled and harried Dunga’s charges from start to finish. They weren’t intimidated by the reputation of their formidable opponents. Ji Yun Nam’s splendid strike in the 89th minute really rattled Brazil.
Fired up on adrenaline, the Koreans then threatened to restore parity at any moment in the climactic stages. Clearly on the defensive, the unnerved Brazilians might even have prayed for an early blast of the final whistle.
Consider the odds stacked against the North Koreans to put the result in perspective. At 105, they are the lowest ranked team in the World Cup. Brazil, the only country to have taken part in all World Cups, are No. 1 in Fifa’s pecking order.
The contrast in the profiles of the players cannot be starker. Every member of the Brazilian team is a multi-millionaire or a one in the making. Most of them are employed in top clubs in Europe. Only three North Koreans play outside their home country. Jong Tae Se, who is on the roster of Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale, says even a mobile phone is a luxury for his teammates.
“When I carried my mobile to our preparatory camp, there was a queue to see the instrument,” he said in a recent interview. The less said the better about North Korea’s international exposure.
But the pride of representing their country at the World Cup fired the North Koreans to raise their game a few notches. Yes, they defended deep, but even the Italians will also do the same against a team as explosive as Brazil. There was no doubt about the Koreans’ confidence on the ball.
The way Ji brought down a long ball and controlled it for his goal was every bit Brazilian. He did even better to power an unstoppable shot past Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar. Ji achieved what Bayern Munich’s star cast couldn’t in the Champions League final last month: beating Cesar.
Even though Brazil had almost put the match to bed by that time thanks to goals from Maicon and Elano, the resilience of North Korea wowed Ellis Park.
Dunga, who expressed his defensive leanings by sending out two holding midfielders, would not be gung ho with his team’s efforts. Luis Fabiano and Kaka were way below their best. And the absence of midfield sparkle was another worry for the coach. Gilberto Silva and Felipe Melo can blunt attacks. But, are they capable of threading a ball that can break the resistance of an obdurate team? In tune with their tradition, fullbacks Maicon and Michel Bastos were Brazil’s most potent attacking weapons.