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FIFA U-17 World Championship: Ânderson helps Brazil through [Sat Oct 1st, 2005]
After a pitched battle in Trujillo (Peru) that demonstrated possibly every vice and virtue young players can bring to the game, Brazil managed to squeeze past a strong Turkey and make it into the final against Mexico.
Grêmio midfield playmaker Ânderson – tipped to follow in Ronaldinho Gaúcho’s footsteps – was the key to the baby seleção victory.
The corkscrew-coiffed youngster scored Brazil’s second and gave the precise pass for the all-important forth goal that saw Brazil classified for the final – and an opportunity to win the ‘Tri’; the third World Cup in this FIFA age category. “We were winning 3-0 but allowed Turkey back into the game and they equalised: that simply can’t be allowed to happen†said Ânderson after the match.
Brazil started impeccably, scoring only eleven seconds after the whistle after Portuguesa striker Celsinho knocked in the final step of a skilful Ânderson move. Playing fast and loose, Brazil went two ahead thanks to the name of the game: Ânderson, moving into the right side of the Turkish box before unleashing a powerful shot: 2-0.
The third came six minutes later: Marcelo worked his way up to the Turkish goal line, striking out with a combo cross/shot before the ball went out of play. It looked like a simple save for goalie Volkan Babacan, but the youngster let the ball slip by and was soon picking it out of his net: 3-0 and Brazil appeared to be on their way to a historic slaughter of Turkey rarely seen outside Thanksgiving or Xmas.
If all seemed virtually lost for the boys in red, then worse was to come; in first half stoppage time Erkan Ferin was dribbled by Ânderson and hacked the Brazilian in frustration. The yellow card shown by the ref was added to an earlier card and the youngster went off.
Proceedings were brought to the intermission with the promise of a dire second half for the young Turks.
Paradoxically the advantage of playing 11 against Turkey’s 10 saw Brazil relax far too much, taking the game as won and almost swapping studded boots for flip-flops and a Guaraná. This lackadaisical attitude was rightfully punished by the wounded adversaries, Caner Erkin narrowing the gap to 3-1.
Although the first goal was shrugged off as a mere consolation strike, panic began to set in when the Canarinha defence faltered – as it is prone to do at most levels – and Kose rose above the sluggish back four to flash a header past Felipe and into the Verde-Amarelo right-hand corner: 3-2 with half an hour still left to play.
The hammer blow came a few minutes later, Felipe being caught off his line by Sahin: the Turkish player sending up a lob that beat the Brazilian keeper and rippled the net to announce the equaliser of a game that appeared to have been decided in the first half. Whatever the Turkish coach said to his lads in red it must have been similar to Benitez’s speech in the recent UEFA Champions League final.
Nevertheless, not all pithy comeback stories end in glory. Ânderson pulled out all the stops, attracting a flurry of Turkish markers that desperately attempted to win back the ball as he entered the danger zone of the red box. This left Corinthians striker Igor free, and the youngster finished off Ânderson’s move to make it a last-minute 4-3 win for Brazil.
Turkey went off to applause for their gutsy second half, and Brazil have some thinking to do if they don’t want a similar close shave in the final against Mexico this Sunday in the Peruvian capital Lima. Turkey take on Holland after the Oranje were juiced 4-0 by Mexico, hoping to take back at least a third place for their troubles.
Aaron Marcus
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