BERLIN - Brazil, France and South Korea picked up
just about where they left off four years ago.
Brazil's Kaka celebrates his goal
against Croatia with team mate Roberto Carlos (L) during their Group
F World Cup 2006 soccer match in Berlin June 13, 2006.
[Reuters] | |
The defending champion Brazilians won their eighth straight World Cup match
Tuesday, getting a 43rd-minute goal from Kaka to shake off a pesky Croatia 1-0
in Group F.
The French, who won the World Cup in 1998 but went home early last time,
failed to score a goal in their fourth straight World Cup match _ this time in a
0-0 draw with Switzerland in Group G. And unexpected semifinalists as co-hosts
last time, South Korea won away from home for the first time in 15 World Cup
matches, beating Togo 2-1 in the same group.
Brazil, which is trying to win a record sixth World Cup title, got a string
of saves from goalkeeper Dida at the Olympic Stadium, while Ronaldo was taken
off in the 69th after a below-par performance.
Brazil started well, hogging possession and relying on the defensive midfield
pairing of Emerson and Ze Roberto to win the ball back when moves broke down. It
faded midway through the first half under tough Croatian tackling, however.
Croatia limited Brazil to a handful of long-range shots, and captain Niko
Kovac initiated a handful of attacks before going off with an injury in the
40th.
Three minutes later, Cafu picked out Kaka on the edge of the area and the AC
Milan playmaker took one touch to knock the ball past Niko Kranjcar and another
to steady himself before sending a left-foot shot past Croatia goalkeeper Stipe
Pletikosa.
"I personally had a good start in the World Cup. I scored a goal,
participated in several moves," Kaka said. "The second half was especially
difficult because we had trouble getting organized and suffered a lot on the
left side."
The last time the French team scored in a World Cup game was when it beat
Brazil 3-0 in the 1998 final. Switzerland also held France to draws in two
qualifying games.
"We know that team all too well," France coach Raymond Domenech said. "It's
the sort of match we expected. We could have beaten them in the first half. They
could have won the match in the second half.
"This was a high-level match from both teams."
Despite being forced to play as a lone striker in
Stuttgart, Thierry Henry went close with three shots and a header in the first
half, while Zinedine Zidane's deft touches set up the best French moves.
