Whose World? What Cup? (Day 10a)

At half-time, Brazil are leading 1-0 over Côte d'Ivoire, thanks to a lovely Brazilian-style goal by Luis Fabiano. Although Brazil are no longer the flair-at-all-costs insanely-wild-moments team they used to be, they are fairly solid, still inventive, still capable of magic.

Côte d'Ivoire, however, are not just Didier Drogba and ten other men. They're a pretty cohesive fighting unit, good at keeping possession but not so skilled at visualising the field of battle. Both teams have found that crossing from deep to the left doesn't work, but the other direction is reasonably effective.

And that's how it goes...

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An hour into the game, Brazil have been helped by a referee who apparently can spot a handball but laugh it off, and allow a blatantly wrong goal on its artistic merits. But they're Brazil, and their third goal was entirely merited. 3-0 to them now.

I am, however, plagued with bad commentary. The commentator keeps going on about how Brazil is being brilliant and only they can be Brazilian. The former is sporadic, the latter is true, but I am irritated when he starts saying that only they can score pedestrian goals.

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Didier Drogba managed to pull one back for Côte d'Ivoire, but of course (especially in the light of Fabiano's self-confessed handball-assisted second goal) it was too little, too late.