Brazil 2, Italy 0 – Game notes

Notes on Brazil’s 2-0 victory over Italy in a friendly in London:

- A beautiful goal by Fabio Grosso is taken away by a bad offside call from a linesman 50 yards away from the play.

- Brazil’s two first-half goals illustrated just how talented troubled Robinho is on the pitch. First setting up Manchester City teammate Elano, then making Pirlo, Zambrotta and Buffon spectators with a first-class steal, move and shot that were simply breathtaking.

- Elano is a player who almost always shines for the Brazilians but has committed the cardinal sin of playing the same position as Kaka.

- Ronaldinho Gaucho looks like he’s dragging a truck behind him, such is his loss of speed over the past couple years. His passing and IQ make him valuable, but unless his form improves, it’s hard to see him having a starting spot for Brazil in 2010.

- And Adriano is dragging a full fleet of trucks out there.

- Italy, which lost a penalty when Lucio’s hand ball went unseen, is unlucky to be down 2-0 at half. Deserving to be down for playing with little zeal, but unlucky nonetheless.

- Like him or not, Luca Toni is an extreme pain in the ass to defend, despite doing his best Santonio Holmes impression on a long ball from Pirlo at the 60-minute mark and having a goal rightfully taken off the boards.

- Dunga would have been much better served playing 19-year-old Alexandre Pato in place of Adriano. No way he could have done worse, and he’d have built confidence starting and playing against familiar foes.

- Prior to tonight’s friendly, Brazil and Italy had played 12 times, with each team winning five times and two draws. Each team had scored 19 goals. Four of those games were played in Italy, with just one in Brazil – and that was 53 years ago.

- And Pato gets 10 minutes of playing time.

- Kinda chippy for a friendly.

- Julio Caesar should be in goal for Brazil for some time to come.

- Quite chippy, indeed, as the final whistle blows, ending a non-descript second half.

–WKW

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