Guillermo Ochoa has a blinder in goal for Mexicans as Neymar is given some rough treatment
- Brazil and Mexico play out second goalless draw of the World Cup
- Hosts could not find a way past goalkeeper Ochoa
That a game for Brazil in their own World Cup should end with the opposition goalkeeper emerging as the runaway man of the match should perhaps surprise nobody. This was certainly some night for a curly-hurled guy from Mexico called Guillermo Ochoa.
Nevertheless, this was a night that told us something more about the host nation as they look to seek a coronation in front of their own people this summer. This is a Brazil team that will need to improve significantly if it is not to stumble when the stakes grow higher later in the tournament.
Luiz Felipe Scolari’s team should certainly reach phase two now. This was a draw that actually suited both teams pretty well, even if the 55,000 Brazilians packed in to the Estadio Castelao went home feeling less than sated.
No way past: Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa makes a superb instinctive save from Thiago Silva (centre)
Super saver: Ochoa gets in the way on the stroke of half-time as David Luiz (left) and Paulinho lurk
MATCH FACTS
Brazil: (4-2-3-1): J Cesar 6; Alves 6.5, T.Silva 6, Luiz 6.5, Marcelo 5.5; Paulinho 6, Gustavo 6; Ramires 6 (Bernard 45min, 6), Neymar 7, Oscar 6.5 (Willian 84); Fred 5 (Jo 67, 5) Subs: Jefferson, Fernandinho, Hulk, Dante, Maxwell, Henrique, Hernanes, Maicon, Victor.
Booked: Ramires, Silva.
Mexico (3-2-3-2): Ochoa 8; Rodriguez 6.5, Marquez 6, Moreno 5.5; Aguilar 6, Layun 6.5; Vasquez 5.5, Herrera 6 (Fabian 76), Guardado 6; Dos Santos 6.5 (Jiminez 74min, 6), Peralta 6 (Hernandez 74min, 6). Subs: Corona, Salcido, Reyes, Pulido, Ponce, Brizuela, Aquino, Pena, Talavera.
Booked: Aguilar, Vasquez.
Man of the match: Guillermo Ochoa.
Referee: Cuneyt Cakir (Turkey).
Unquestionably, though, this Brazilian team is deficient.
For all the impish genius of the new golden child Neymar, Brazil still lack a through the middle goal scorer. In defenders David Luiz and Marcelo, meanwhile, they have footballers born to play in opposition territory. Sadly that is only half of their job.
They created chances last night and they should have taken at least a couple. Ochoa, released by the little known Corsican club AC Ajaccio, who play in France's Ligue 2, had one of those nights he will talk about forever.
Conversely, though, Brazil continued to look wide open once the centre of their midfield was punctured and, from that perspective, it still looks as though Scolari has some tinkering to do. Do not, for example, be surprised if Manchester City’s centre player Fernandinho comes in to the reckoning before long as Brazil seek a way to become more resolute.
On a wonderful, humid South American night, this was some occasion, some atmosphere and, given the lack of goals, some game. It began at a gallop, with tackles being exchanged with the ferocious abandon of a Hackney Marshes grudge match, and grew in to a night of punch and counter punch.
Floored genius: Neymar lies prone on the turf after some rough treatment from the Mexicans
Back of the net: Neymar found his way into the goal but the ball stayed out
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Brazil were the better team and they should have won. Without the help of a referee this time, though, they lacked cohesion at times. For long periods, their rhythm deserted them and there was not a single passage of play that made you think that Mexico were not capable of doing something to spoil the party completely.
After the initial frantic exchanges, with the crowd at fever pitch, Brazil settled down to play and the peculiar looking Ochoa was asked to make his two decisive contributions of the first half.
First it was Neymar – Brazil’s stand-out player – who was denied. Having almost worked a one-two with Paulinho, Neymar was on the six yard line when a cross from Dani Alves delivered the ball back in to the penalty area.
The Barcelona player seemed second best to reach the ball but he leaped well and his downward header seemed destined for the corner until Ochoa pawed it away with his right hand.
Showboating: Home favourite Neymar keeps the ball in the air despite the attentions of Andres Guardado
It was a great save – perhaps the best of the World Cup so far – and he followed it with another just before the interval, this time advancing from his line quickly to smother Paulinho’s effort after Thiago Silva had chested a cross down cleverly in to the Tottenham midfielder’s path.
Mexico didn’t create such clear chances early on but they did carry a threat and an ambitious intent that was to manifest itself much later in the piece.
In to the second half, though, and once again Ochoa was asked to come to the fore. Not for a while, though. For the first 20 minutes of the second period, Brazil got stuck in one of their feet of clay periods and it was Mexico who pressed, with Andres Guardado and Hector Herrera advancing to clobber drives narrowly off target from distance.
Ultimately, though, enlivened by well-times Scolari substitutes, Brazil did come again. Neymar may have done better than drive a shot against the goalkeeper’s knees from an angle before Luiz got his flat feet in a tangle when a chance presented itself courtesy of an Alves pass soon after.
Getting stuck in: Andres Guardado feels the full force of a challenge by Dani Alves
Tussle: Ramires (left) tries to get the better of Mexico's defender Andres Guardado
It was, however, the Brazilian captain who went back to the team base cursing himself after spurning the chance of the night with five minutes left.
Lucky to still be on the field after almost cutting Javier Hernandez in two moments earlier, the big central defender Silva was completely unmarked when a free-kick from the left dropped on his forehead six yards from goal.
At first sight it looked as though Ochoa had saved unbelievably but the replays showed that Silva had the whole goal at his mercy and somehow managed to head the ball towards the only place where it wasn’t going to go in.
At that point, Brazil knew they wouldn’t win. It summed up the night, though, that they then almost lost. Twice in injury time, Julio Cesar was troubled from distance, the second shot, from substitute Raul Jimenez a spectacular effort from wide on the right.
Two games in and Brazil will not complain. Better opposition may unmask them more revealingly, though.
Passion: Former Chelsea defender David Luiz leads an emotional Brazilian national anthem
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