Olympics: Brazil knock out Cameroon with two extra-time goals

Monday 18 August 2008

SHENYANG, China - Brazil knocked former champions Cameroon out of the Beijing Olympics football tournament with a 2-0 extra time win in a rough-house quarter-final on Saturday.

The Brazilians, yet to win an Olympics football gold medal, got the winner in the 101st minute when Betis Sevilla forward Rafael Sobis was sent clear and chipped the goalkeeper to break the deadlock.

Real Madrid's Marcelo made it safe with a second four minutes later after leadup work by AC Milan's Ronaldinho and substitute Thiago Neves.

The Brazilians now face a semi-final against either defending champions Argentina or the Netherlands in Beijing on Tuesday.

Cameroon's task was made more difficult when they were reduced to 10 men with the red-carding of Paris St Germain's Albert Baning seven minutes after halftime.

It was a spiteful quarter-final with a total of 13 yellow cards dished out by Slovenian referee Damir Skomina - eight against Cameroon and five to Brazil.

It was some measure of revenge for Brazil, who were knocked out by the Africans 2-1 at the same stage of the tournament at the Sydney Games in 2000 after extra time despite finishing the match with nine men.

Cameroon made the most of their luck going on to beat Chile 2-1 in the semi-finals with a last-minute goal and Spain in the final on a penalty shootout.

Brazil have now scored 11 goals in four matches and have yet to concede a goal in the Beijing tournament.

The opening half had few scoring chances but plenty of fouls with referee Skomina handing out five yellow cards and whistling up 24 fouls.

The best scoring chance came in the 14th minute when Brazilian goalkeeper Renan finger-tipped a long-range drive from striker Gustave Bebbe over the bar.

Ronaldinho was at the heart of the Brazilian attacks and his corners were particularly dangerous as the Cameroon defence were forced to head clear.

Cameroon lost their Rennes midfielder Stephane Mbia after 17 minutes with a leg injury and he was replaced by German-based Alain Olle.

Cameroon went a man down when Baning was sent off in the 52nd minute for his second yellow and a foul on Lucas.

Brazil pressed against the under-manned Cameroonian defence for the remainder of the half but could not breach their defence and the quarter-final went into extra time before the killer goals in the first period.