SUWON (South Korea), June 13: Brazil thumped Costa Rica 5-2 on Thursday to reach the World Cup’s second round with a maximum nine points and eliminate their brave opponents in an exhilarating game full of flowing football.
The four times champions, favourites for a fifth title after the shock exits of France and Argentina, attacked brilliantly in the first half, going on to score five goals in a finals match for the first time since the 1958 final against Sweden.
Ronaldo maintained his record of scoring a goal in every game as Brazil took their first-round tally to 11, the most they have ever mustered in the tournament’s opening phase.
However, it was by no means plain sailing as Costa Rica repeatedly tore holes in a ragged defence.
Brazil led 3-0 with an own goal and one each for Ronaldo and Edmilson, but Costa Rica pulled one back through Paulo Wanchope late in the first half and made it 3-2 from a Ronald Gomez header.
Two goals in two minutes for Rivaldo and Junior settled the issue but Costa Rica, needing a draw or a narrow, high-scoring defeat to go through, had several more opportunities.
However, they could not get the extra goals they needed and bowed out of the tournament with four points behind Turkey on goal difference.
Brazil, with earlier victories over Turkey and China, joined Spain as the second team to qualify with maximum points and will play Japan, Russia, Belgium or Tunisia in the second round.
“We understand that people see us as favourites, but we don’t think that ourselves,” Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said. “We have to keep our calm and we have to reach each game with our concentration very high.
“We did show some problems in our defence but we are aware of them and will work hard to correct them.”
After a shaky start, Brazil went ahead in the 10th minute when defender Luis Marin, desperately trying to beat Ronaldo to a low Edilson cross, poked the ball into his own net.
Three minutes later it was 2-0 as Ronaldo seized on some hesitant defending to score with a low shot.
At the other end Walter Centeno sliced horribly wide from close range and Mauricio Wright twice headed over after woeful Brazilian marking.
Edmilson then gave a lesson in finishing seven minutes before the break, swivelling mid-air to score with a spectacular overhead kick from a deflected Junior cross.
Costa Rica replied almost immediately through Wanchope after a clever one-two with Wright, and Rivaldo hammered a free kick against a post in first-half injury time.
Costa Rica continued to attack after the break, Wanchope and Carlos Castro going close before Ronald Gomez found the target in the 56th minute with a diving header from Steven Bryce’s clipped cross.
With Turkey leading China 2-0 at the time, a 3-2 defeat would have sent Costa Rica through but their dream was over after Brazil struck twice in two minutes.
In the 62nd Rivaldo turned in a low Junior cross and Junior himself added the fifth with a neat finish from 10 metres after breaking clear of the defence.
Ronaldo, looking sharper with every game, scrambled a shot against a post but Costa Rica hit back in the final minutes.
Wright was agonisingly unable to force in the rebound after a mis-hit Junior clearance struck a post, Rolando Fonseca shot inches wide and Wanchope thumped a shot against the bar.
Costa Rica’s Brazil-born coach Alexander Guimaraes was disappointed with the result but proud of his team.
“We came to the World Cup to show how our football in Costa Rica has improved and today we showed that against one of most important national teams,” he said.
“I’m sad because we have to leave. We have shown enough football to be a part of this World Cup but we have a great future.”—Reuters