Brazil ease past inexperienced Ghana to reach last eight

Five-time World champions Brazil have reached the World Cup quarter-finals following an easy 3-0 win over Ghana in the last 16 game that took place in Dortmund on Tuesday.

كتب : Amro Hassan

الثلاثاء، 27 يونيو 2006 - 20:47
Brazil crushed Ghana 3-0 to advance to the quarter-finals
Five-time World champions Brazil have reached the World Cup quarter-finals following an easy 3-0 win over Ghana in the last 16 game that took place in Dortmund on Tuesday.

Ronaldo made history when he scored his 15th goal in the World Cup to put Brazil ahead in the fifth minute before Adriano and Ze Roberto secured Brazil's winning route with goals in the 46th and 81st minutes.

The Brazilians will next play against the winners of the Spain and France game, that will take place later on Tuesday, in the quarter-finals.

Brazil went ahead from their first chance when Kaka broke Ghana's poor offside trap and passed to Ronaldo, who rounded Richard Kingston before tapping the ball into the empty net.

Adriano had the chance to double Brazil's lead when an inch-perfect cross brought him one-on-one with Kingston, but the Inter striker opted not to pass to the free Ronaldo and wasted the ball after Kingston's fair tackle.

Ghana started to pick up their pace and in the 19th minute Draman Haminu fired a long range shot that was brilliantly tipped over the bar by Brazil goalkeeper Dida.

The Black Stars kept on pushing the Brazilian defense and Eric Addo crossed the ball to Gyan Asamoah in the box but under tight pressure from Emerson, the Ghana striker shot high.

Ghana had a golden opportunity to equalize when defender John Mensah raised the ball high in the Brazilian box and fired his header but luckily enough for Brazil, Mensah's effort went straight at Dida's foot.

In the 46th minute and totally against the run of play Brazil scored a second after Ronaldinho led a deft counter-attack and passed to Cafu, who crossed low to Adriano and the latter easily turned the ball in.

The Ghanaians protested against the goal and called for an offside, given that Adriano seemed to be offside when Cafu played the ball, but the assistant referee kept his flag down.

Kingston kept Ghana in the game when he saved Roberto Carlos's shot after the latter stormed his way from the left side and fired a low effort in the 57th minute.

Ghana kept on their trials to get back in the game but the Black Stars' hopes were demolished when striker Asamoah was sent off in the 81st minute after receiving his second yellow card for imitation in the box.

Brazil wrapped up their win with a third goal six minutes from time as Ghana's offside trap was once again broke, this time through Ze Roberto who chipped the ball past Kingston before scoring his first goal of the tournament.