Brazil opened their FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup campaign with a 1-1 tie against China Tuesday night at Commonwealth Stadium. They conceded a goal in the 89th minute, costing them the victory and a share of top spot in Group B.
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But outside the final result, Brazilian head coach Doriva Bueno was happy with his team’s performance.
“I thought it was a good game and we came into it well prepared,” said Bueno. “We wanted to play a fluid game where we able to build the ball out from defence up to our attack. I thought we did that, especially in the second half where we were able to control the game.
“After we scored the goal, it was natural that China was going to push forward looking for a goal and we lost our shape in the back a little bit and they were able to take the game to us a little bit.”
After taking the lead in the 65th minute through Byanca, Brazil took a more cautious approach, which cost them.
Prior to taking the lead in the second half, the South American champions showcased their ability on the ball with a number of impressive skills and tricks, which won the crowd over.
But they were undone by their inability to defend a free kick late in the game as Zhang Zhu scored off a scramble in front after the ball was lofted into the penalty area.
“They scored on a dead ball which is a characteristic of the women’s game,” Bueno said. “That was a ball we were able to contest and we had a chance to clear, but we were unable to do it.
It was a game of contrasting styles as China were well organized and attacked as a unit.
Brazil on the other hand, took turns showcasing their individual skills. And while they made inroads getting up to the Chinese penalty area, the Brazilians had trouble with their final touch.
Their go-ahead goal came off a fortunate bounce, the ball ricocheting to the top of the penalty area. Byanca showed impressive speed to beat goalkeeper Lu Feifei to the ball, putting it into the empty net.
“We knew this was going to be a tough game and I think at the end, the tie was all right,” said Brazilian midfielder Djenifer, who was named player of the match. “We were able to take the lead, but unfortunately we weren’t able to keep the lead.”
It is said in World Cup tournaments that it’s more important not to lose the opening game than it is to win it.
With a tie, the Brazilians are still in position to advance, but will need a positive result against the U.S. Friday (8 p.m.) at Commonwealth Stadium. The defending champion U.S. lost 2-0 to Germany on Tuesday, a rematch of the 2012 final.
“We know they are a team that is very strong,” Djenifer said. “We know we’re going to have to give our all in that game.”
The U.S. and Germany came in as favourites. Considering the flair the Brazilians displayed Tuesday, they cannot be discounted.
“We want to play attractive football,” said defender Camila. “We knew that a team like China was going to be aggressive against us and would try to get the ball from us, so it was important to be able to control the ball and be able to dribble around them if possible.
“That’s something that we were able to do and something that in the Brazilian game we are good at. We are happy to be able to play that style and hopefully in our next game we will be able to get a better result.”
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