Brazil and Korea end the day of semi-finals with a match for the ages. Brazil comes in as undisputed favorites, but the Koreans are not be toyed with. Just ask Great Britain and the millions of fans that saw their beloved home squad choke against the Asians.
Kick-off Date & Time:
Tuesday, July 7, 2012
7:45 p.m. London Time
2:45 p.m. EDT
Brazil
Before the tournament started, the Samba Kings were undisputed favorites in this tournament. They are now just two wins away from their first gold medal in history. To this point, their consistent offensive output has carried them but a weakness on defense may be their undoing.
Brazil has scored 12 goals but given up 5, the most by any remaining squad. In fact, no other team has conceded more than two. They need to tighten up in the backend if they plan to defeat a stingy but aggressive defense.
Key Player: Neymar. The superstar needs to be at his optimal best to breakdown a potent Korean defense. He tends to make errant passes and Korea will likely prepare the counterattack as their modus operandi in this match. If he does that, then he leaves his team exposed.
Korea Republic
It may not always be pretty, but Korea wins with guts and determination. They haven't been extraordinary on the offensive, but they have been tight on defense. Clutch goal-tending has also led them this far.
Korea will likely not have the ball for much of the match, but a strong defense and counter can be their road to victory.
Key Player: The Entire Defense. To this point they have been a fearless unit despite injuries and speculations that they could fall apart. They face their toughest test against a team that has scored three goals in every single one of their matches. Korea needs to tighten up and communicate well on the back end.
Brazil Will Win If...
They play with the swagger that got them through the group stage. A lousy effort like they put up against Honduras could be their undoing here. They are the superior squad from a talent perspective but that alone does not win matches and much less tournaments.
Korea Will Win If...
There are two ways. Tighten up, absorb pressure and blast back with a speedy counter against a weak defense. This defense is weaker than Great Britain's so Korea can certainly exploit that.
The second road to victory is by reminding Brazil that they have the most pressure in this match. Attack, attack, attack is all Korea needs to do to win this match. Pressure Brazil into mistakes and they will be rewarded. Use Honduras as a launch pad and improve on those tactics. Or look at Egypt's relentless effort in the second half and how they cut a three goal deficit to one.
Prediction: I expect another suspect performance from the Samba Kings, but alas, their talent will ride them to victory. A comfortable one as well. 3-1 Brazil.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
