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MOTD- Brazil 3-0 France

By on June 9, 2013
Oscar scores Brazil's first goal as they beat France for the first tie in 21 years

Oscar scores Brazil’s first goal as the Canarinha beat France for the first tie in 21 years

Brazil easily won their last friendly match before the Confederations Cup, beating an inferior France, who, to be fair, did not feature near their best side while Brazil did.

Although neither side started the match with any real intensity, Brazil were gifted a chance to open the scoring only thirty seconds into the game when France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris got caught on the ball by Neymar on the edge of the box.  With Lloris stranded far off his line, the Barcelona-bound forward took to long to pull the trigger, losing the ball to the oncoming France defense.  The tempo of the match stayed very slow, and neither side could seem to find their stride.  Still, it was France who played to better football, and Josua Guilavogui headed just wide of the near post from a free-kick on the right in the fifteenth minute, before Dimitri Payet slammed a low bouncing shot straight to Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar.

Brazil could have taken the lead in the thirtieth minute, but Mathieu Valbuena made a vital interception to brilliantly tip the ball away from Neymar, who was inches away from tapping Oscar’s cross from the right into the back of the net at the far post.  Neymar was again inches away from tapping a cross home just before the half, but Brazil just lacked that extra bit of intensity.

A tactical change at the half saw Brazil completely change their attitude, putting high pressure on les Blues defense.  Although Yohan Cabaye fired a dipping shot into the side netting two minutes into the half, Brazil broke the deadlock in the fifty-fourth minute.  Luis Gustavo poked it away from a France midfielder on the halfway line, and Fred picked up the loose ball.  After flying down the left with the ball, the Fluminense forward cut it across to Oscar, who took a touch before coolly slotting a low shot past Lloris into the bottom corner of the net from eight yards out.  Only moments later the Chelsea midfielder could have had a second, but his brilliant flick rolled just wide of the post.

Cesar was forced to make a brilliant reaction save to stop David Luiz’s attempted clearance from finding it’s way into the back of the center-back’s own net, before Lloris made a stunning double save to stop Neymar’s efforts from finding the back of the net on the hour mark.  Brazil managed to put the game beyond France’s reach in the seventy-third minute, when Neymar cushioned Lucas Moura’s cross down to Hernanes, who’s mishit his volley from the edge of the box managed to creep into the corner of the goal. 
The Canarinha had time to put the icing on the cake deep into stoppage time, when Marcelo’s long run ended with Luiz Scolari’s side being awarded a penalty, which Lucas coolly passed into the bottom corner of the net after sending Lloris the wrong way.  Seconds later Brazil’s first win over les Blues in twenty-one years was sealed, with the whistle blowing after three minutes of added time, sending Brazil into the Confederations Cup on high spirits.
Man of the Match: Lucas Moura

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.