One Day Off -- Now Back to Work

With the end of the U.S. - Slovenia being what it was, and all the aftermath, since, it turned out well I took Saturday off to rest. Got a real night's sleep, and wasn't due back in action until Sunday night at Soccer City for Brazil - Ivory Coast (Cote' de Iviore). This was a match I'd really been looking forward to shooting since it featured Chelsea's Didier Drogba against Brazil's all stars.

Drogba was also very much on Brazil's minds as well, as indicated by the close attention given him by defender Lucio, here, and the rest of the Brazilian defense all night.

Brazil went up 1-0, then 2-0, on goals by Luis Fabiano, the second of which was arguably aided by his hand to settle the ball for the finish. The third Brazil goal was scored by midfielder Elano, who scored for his second straight match, but soon after, was knocked from the match by a hard tackle, illustrating the quick changes of fortune in football.

Drogba had one look at goal, with an opportunity to bring it back to 2-1, just before Elano's goal, but his header was high and wide of the far corner. It was the kind of chance the high-powered goal scorer makes weekly fare of finishing in the English Premier League.

The introduction of speedy Gervinho into the Ivory Coast line up brought the change of pace necessary, and from that point on, the match was more end-to-end. It was in fact, on the clearance of a Brazil chance in the Ivory Coast penalty area, where Gervinho raced the length of the field, through the middle of the slow to recover Brazilian defense, where Drogba was finally able to get one back for his side. The tackle below on Gervinho spun the ball out to the left flank, where it was gathered in by the trailing attackers, who found Drogba lurking on the back post awaiting the crisply-delivered cross, which he surgically finished past a helpless Julio Cesar in goal.

Despite the result firmly in hand for Brazil in the closing minutes, it was much less so firmly in hand from a decorum standpoint and in the final minutes, a strong challenge by Kaka, the key cog in Brazil's midfield, earned him a second yellow, and the subsequent red card. Kaka will miss the final group stage match in the critical Brazil - Portugal showdown.

This evening, am in Jo'burg, again, this time at Ellis Park, for the Spain - Honduras match, a critical outing for both teams in Group H, as they chase group leaders Chile and Switzerland.

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