2006 World Cup
Round 16 stage
Brazil 3-0 Ghana
Brazil had won the 2002 World Cup in South Korea/Japan in grand style. The Selecao went to Germany in the 2005 FIFA Confederation Cup and brushed every team aside before smashing perennial rivals Argentina 4-1 in the finals, with a brace from Adriano and a goal each from Kaka and Ronaldinho securing another trophy. Carlos Alberto Perreira left the ever-dangerous Ronaldo home yet won the trophy.
Brazil was scary then and had arguably the most dangerous attack in world football. A year later after the Confederation Cup success, the South Americans travelled to Germany in a bid to defend their title. They were World, South America and FIFA Confederation Cup champions in a space of three years- Brazil were dangerous.
Dubbed the Fantastic 4, Brazil went to Germany 2006 with Kaka, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Adriano leading the attack. On the bench, Carlos Alberto Parreira had Real Madrid’s Robinho. Brazil was admired due to so many stars in the team.
After comfortable wins against Croatia, Australia and Japan in Group F, Brazil topped the group and set up a crucial match against debutants Ghana in round 16.
The experienced South Americans broke Ghana into pieces with a 3-0 win in Dortmund. Ghana had youngsters like Asamoah Gyan, Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, Habib Mohammed and John Mensah among others in that tournament. They had no experience at the world stage but had beaten the Czech Republic and the USA in the group stage to book a knockout place alongside eventual winners, Italy.
Facing Brazil was always going to be fearful, and Asamoah Gyan has expressed his shock at seeing the 2006 Brazil team.”I was star-struck when we played Brazil in 2006″, Gyan said. Seeing Brazil’s famous jersey in newspapers and on the television makes you excited; how much more seeing them face to face.
Brazil made Ghana look like a Category C team as they outplayed, outfought and outscored the Black Stars. Ronaldo in the 5th minute rounded off Olele to put the South Americans ahead. On the stroke of half-time, Adriano beat the offside trap and put Brazil 2-0 ahead. Zé Roberto added the final goal in the 84th minute, tipping the ball past the keeper at the edge of the box and nudging it into an open net.
Ghana finished the match with 10 men after Asamoah Gyan was sent off in the 81st minute for his second yellow card. Brazil failed to win the tournament as they fell to Thierry Henry’s lone goal in the quarter-finals against France, led by the legendary Zinedine Zidane.
