Brazil is not expecting an easier path to its first Olympic gold in football just because it avoided having to face host Britain in the semifinals. It will still have to go through what it calls an extremely fit South Korean team.

Brazil became a bigger favorite than ever to win the men’s football tournament after the British were eliminated in the quarterfinals, following in the footsteps of other top contenders such as Spain and Uruguay.

Even the Brazilians admit they are in good position, but they are not taking anything away from the South Korean team it will have to face on Tuesday.

Brazilian players said they were surprised by how the South Koreans never caved in against the hosts, sending them home after extra time and penalties in the quarters.

“South Korea is a team which runs a lot all the time and will never give up,” Brazil captain Thiago Silva said. “Even during the extra time, when you expected them to get a bit more tired, they kept running and going after the goal to advance.”

The South Koreans held on as the British pressed forward backed by the home crowd in Cardiff, Wales, drawing 1-1 after regulation and extra time and then advancing 5-4 in a penalty shootout.

“South Korea has a very intense game, their players can keep up the pace during the entire match,” Brazil coach Mano Menezes said.

In addition to the South Koreans’ strong physical condition, Silva said the Asians also know how to play simple and hardly make mistakes, giving few chances to their opponents to get near their area.

“They move the ball around really well,” the Paris Saint-Germain central defender said. “They rarely miss a pass and they are intelligent getting into position up front.”

Tuesday’s semifinal should provide a matchup between attack against defense at the Old Trafford. Brazil has scored 12 goals in its first four matches, while South Korea’s defense has conceded only two. The Koreans have lacked much offensive power, though, scoring only three goals, while Brazil’s defense allowed five.

“We will have to play with the same determination that we have played so far,” Silva said. “That kind of determination has taken us to the semifinals already.”

Brazil arrived as one of the top favorites for the gold because many of its top players make the tournament’s under-23 age limit, including Neymar, Oscar and Alexandre Pato. Each nation can also use three players over that age. (AP)



<관련 한글 기사>


브라질 주장이 말하는 한국팀의 강점은?


금메달을 향한 “삼바축구” 브라질 올림픽 축구 대표팀의 행보가 쉽지만은 않아 보인다. 준결승 상대로 축구종가 영국 단일 대표팀을 피한 대신 역대 최고의 전력을 자랑하는 한국을 만났기 때문이다.

브라질 대표팀 감독 마누 메네제스는 “(한국과 영국의 경기는) 매우 강렬한 인상을 주었다. 한국팀은 경기 내내 그들의 페이스를 유지했다.”며 칭찬했다.

브라질 대표팀 주장 티아구 실바 선수는 한국과 영국의 경기를 관전한 후 “한국팀은 연장전에서조차 지칠 줄 모르는 체력과 투지를 보여준 팀이며 간결한 플레이에 대한 노하우를 지니고 있다. (그들은) 패싱게임에서 실수가 거의 없으며 공격수들의 위치선정 또한 매우 지능적이다.”라고 말했다. 그는 또한 “오는 한국과의 경기에서 브라질도 최선을 다해야 할 것.”이라고 덧붙였다.

한국시간 8월 8일 새벽 3시 45분부터 진행되는 한국과 브라질의 경기는 ‘창과 방패’의 대결이 될 것으로 점쳐진다. 지난 4회의 경기에서 브라질은 12골을 넣은 반면 5골을 허용했고, 한국은 3골 밖에 넣지 못했지만 2골만을 허용하는 강한 수비력을 자랑하고 있다.

한편 브라질 대표팀은 네이마르와 알레샨드리 파투와 같은 국가대표급 선수 가운들 가운데 대부분이 23세 나이제한에 걸리지 않아 참가국 중 최강의 전력을 가지고 있다고 평가받고 있으며 가장 강력한 금메달 후보로 점쳐지고 있다. (코리아헤럴드)