Brazil Barely Beats Belgium: Nine Men, Ronaldinho, Dunga, and More!

Men’s Olympic Football commenced yesterday in China. Eight group stage matches were played. In Group C, football giants Brazil faced off against a politically splitting country, Belgium. Belgian supporters got a chance to witness the future of our national team. How does the future look? It isn’t back to the Jean-Marie Pfaff days, but the team will be the best it has been in the last several years. Our young players aren’t prodigies. We are just developing a very solid Rode Duivels squad. Brazil barely beat Belgium in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games by a score of 1-0. Our defense was solid and the Young Devils had some nice scoring chances. I wish the Rode Duivels played like our Olympic squad. A good and respectable result for Belgium. However, one wonders if it could have ended differently if we weren’t down to 9 men on the pitch. Yes, you heard right. We finished the match with only 9 players on the field. Belgium played rough defensively for most of the match, which conceded 4 yellow and 2 red cards. Starting line-ups, coaches, and referee:

BELGIUM: Bailly, De Roover, Kompany, Vermaelen, Pocognoli, De Mul, Fellaini, Vertonghen, Martens, Dembele, Mirallas. (subs : Ma-Kalambay, Ciman, Simaeys, Mulemo, Vanden Borre, Haroun, De Smet).
Coach : Jean-François De Sart.

BRAZIL:
Renan, Rafinha, Alex Silva, Breno, Marcelo, Hernanes, Anderson, Lucas, Diego, Ronaldinho, Pato (subs: Diego, Thiago Neves, Ilsinho, Sobis, Jô, Ramirez).
Coach : Dunga
Injuries : Thiago Silva.

Ref: Al Ghambdi (Saudi Arabia).

1st Half
-Maarten Martens is wearing the Belgium captain’s armband.
-Fellaini commits an early foul on Ronaldinho.
-Hernanes (BRA) gets an early yellow card.
-The pace started out very slowly.
-Belgium misses a great scoring chance: A pass from Mirallas to De Mul nearly scored.
-Several early fouls from both sides.
-Brazil is having trouble breaking through the Belgian defense.
-Vincent Kompany gets yellow carded.
-Fellaini misses another scoring opportunity on a downed Renan (BRA) after Renan saved a shot from Mirallas.
-A Ronaldinho free kick flew easily into Bailly’s hands.
-The pace of the match hasn’t been very fluid.
-Rafinha (BRA) receives a harsh foul.
-1st half ends. Choppy half like I said earlier. Sloppy play from both sides. I wish the passing was better. Nevertheless, each team had numerous chances to get on the scoreboard.
-Belgium finished the half with 16 fouls committed.

2nd Half
-Rafinha almost scores in the opening minutes of the period.
-Brazil continues to press and obtain opportunities on goal.
-The Young Devils had very little possession in the opening 10 mins. of the half.
-Ronaldinho keeps setting up key plays.
-Mirallas just misses the goal with a low shot. What an opportunity!
-Substitution for Belgium: De Smet.
-2nd yellow for De Roover! He is ejected from the match! Bad news for Belgium.
-We are down to 10 men for the remaining 18 minutes of the match.
-74′: Brazil and Belgium make several substitutions. Mirallas is off for Simaeys.
-Goal Brazil! 78′: A determined shot and effort from Hernanes. The Belgian defense almost closed him down.
-Oh my…2nd red card for Belgium: Fellaini. Wow! F***. It was his second yellow…9 men currently on the pitch for Belgium.
-5 minutes extra time! Too many for Belgium. de Sart must be so nervous right now.
-93′: Brazil almost scores a second goal, but it was waved offside.
-Final score Brazil 1-0 Belgium.
-Belgium sits at the very bottom of the group with 0 points due to the draw in the China/New Zealand match.