Womens 2007 World Cup; match 30

Semi Final, 30/9/07 in Hangzhou.

USA v. Brazil

USA: B.Scurry, C.Whitehill, K.Markgraf (M.Dalmy 74), C.Rampone, S.Lopez (C.Lloyd 45), S.Boxx, L.Osborne, L.Chalupny, H.O'Reilly (T.Ellertson 60), A.Wambach, K.Lilly.

Brazil: Andreia, Elaine, Tania, Aline, Renata Costa, Maycon, Ester, Formiga, Daniela, Marta, Cristiane.

The American coach dropped a bombshell before this eagerly awaited semi final by announcing Briana Scurry as his goalkeeper in place of Hope Solo who had kept goal in all the previous games and, bar one dreadful error in the first match against Korea, been outstanding.

Apparently Scurry is the best shot stopper in the world. Why, then, had she been left out this far? By the end it looked less like a bombshell that had been dropped as a bollock.

From the start it was apparent that there was no love lost between these two sides and there was an unpleasant tone to much of the action.

America went forward from the kick off and when Lori Chalupny sent in an awkward shot from 25 yards Andreia only just managed to cling on in the Brazil goal.

There was greater menace behind Brazil's first real attack as Cristiane used her pace to embarrass the ponderous Cat Whitehill who undoubtedly fouled her opponent as she looked to cut into the box.

Cristiane fell theatrically and it was hard to tell whether the foul had occurred inside or outside the box but this became irrelevent as the referee decided against taking any action.

Cristiane responded by fouling Whitehill whose free kick found Chalupny stealing in at the far post and she would have been disappointed to head too close to Andreia.

The first test for Scurry came when a free kick was lobbed in towards her and she failed it miserably as the ball slipped straight through her hands. The Americans were lucky to escape as the ball bounced off Elaine, arriving at the far post, and went narrowly wide of the post.

Brazil were getting into their stride now and looked far too sharp in their running for the heavy legged American defenders. Shannon Boxx received a yellow card for one late challenge which would assume huge significance later on.

The Americans had looked very uncomfortable under pressure against North Korea in their first match and looked about to fall apart against the more potent Brazilians and on 20 minutes that is exactly what they did.

Brazil were awarded a slightly dubious corner on the left wing following one from the right and there looked no danger as Formiga scuffed a poor delivery to the near post. With no Brazilians around her Leslie Osborne stooped to head into her own net, however.

The Americans were being overrun and, under the cosh, seemed to have no leaders and no confidence. Within minutes Marta took the ball off Stephanie Lopez far too easily on the touchline and raced straight into the box before cutting back onto her left foot to drill a shot inside Scurry's near post.

Scurry had got a big hand on the ball but still not been able to stop it from entering her net. The decision to play her instead of Solo (The Woman From Uncle) now looked even more stupid than it had at kick off.

America tried to respond before half time but there was no conviction to their attacks whereas Brazil continued to pile forward quickly and with menace whenever they countered.

Right on the stroke of half time the game was ended as a contest in the most unpleasant way possible after an incident that brought shame on Brazil, the World Cup and womens' football in general.

Brazil broke up another limp American attack and countered quickly. Ester, Cristiane and Marta exchanged sharp passes to open up the right hand side of the American defence but when Marta looked to return the ball to Cristiane both she and Shannon Boxx were lying in a heap on the floor.

The referee, who you can only assume did not see the incident and just guessed what must have happened, came over and showed Boxx a second yellow which meant she was off.

Cristiane, who had been clearly instructing the referee to do just that, then started celebrating wildly in a totally obnoxious display of unsporting behaviour which was made all the more sickening as it was she who had run into Boxx and sent her sprawling rather than the other way round in the first place.

Womens' football, certainly in this country, is basically devoid of such distasteful incidents but it is clear that this is unlikely to last if the game continues to "develop". Will FIFA act on this and try to protect a branch of their sport from the sickness that runs through it at all levels of the mens' game?

I rather doubt it. Better to just let it sink into the sewer along with the rest of football.

Anyway, the decision to send Boxx off basically left America, who had been outplayed with equal numbers, with no hope of a comeback and the decision of their coach to remove a defender in favour of another midfielder might have seemed positive but it simply left them more exposed than ever to the bouyant Brazilian attack.

Maycon was sent away down the left after a slick move and played in Daniela for a shot on the run that was just wide of the far post and then Maycon herself took advantage of a slip by Heather O'Reilly to get in a shot that was also just off target.

America managed one break which saw them have decent numbers forward but when Kristine Lilly found Carli Lloyd she sent a weak shot wide from outside the area with options right and left.

Shortly afterwards any thoughts of an American rally were ended when a nice move down the left finished with Formiga squaring for the unmarked Cristiane to finish with aplomb just inside the post.

The game was up but America should have scored when Abby Wambach won a header to find Lilly in space inside the box but her shot lacked any conviction and lobbed straight into the waiting arms of Andreia.

The last twenty minutes were torture to the Americans who were made to suffer especially by Marta who began to unfurl all the party pieces against her demoralised opponents.

Formiga sent a curler just wide from the edge of the area before Marta completely bemused Tina Ellertson with a dazzling drag back at pace and Cristiane should have done better than shoot straight at Scurry from the resulting pass.

Better was to come as Marta, with her back to her marker, flicked the ball past Ellertson and was gone in a flash before cutting inside Whitehill to score with a low, right footed shot that Scurry again got a paw on but could not keep out.

Brazil had the chances to make the final scoreline truly ugly for the Americans but passed them all up, Cristiane coming the closest with a drive against the base of the post having been set up by Daniela.

For all the splendid football shown by the Brazilians my most vivid memory of this game will be of Cristiane clapping and cheering as an opponent who had done absolutely nothing was being sent off.

Everyone's supposed to love the Brazilians but they're just as scummy as all the other scummy nations you come up against. Remember Rivaldo?

As for the Americans this game confirmed that their defence was there for the taking against a side prepared to attack with pace and purpose, as I had suspected.

What a pity England were too timid to have a go at them.

Full Time: USA 0 Brazil 4