In what was probably the best game of the Confederations Cup thus far, Brazil emerged victorious.
It was Uruguay that put the pressure on first. In the 14′ minute, Diego Forlán had a chance with a penalty shot after teammate Diego Lugano was pulled down inside of the 18 yard box. It was the Brazilian goalkeeper Júlio César who came out on top with a perfect read and save on the Forlán shot.
The sides played evenly for a majority of the first half, until host country Brazil starting pushing the Uruguay side back. Finally, in the 41st minute, a great run and first touch by Brazilian superstar Neymar allowed Brazilian teammate Fred to put it away to put Brazil up 1-0 going into halftime.
Uruguay would not go away. Right out of the gate in the second half, Uruguay got the ball in the offensive third and Brazil could not clear, which ended up being very costly. Edinson Cavani took the sloppy attempts at a clearance and made the Brazil side pay, drawing the game even at one a piece. After the goal, Uruguay was quite charged up, and held the pressure for much of the next ten minutes.
As the end of the game loomed, the home country found their second wind. The Brazilian assault was relentless, and eventually, the hard work paid off. Midfielder Paulinho poked one with his head passed the Uruguayan keeper to put Brazil ahead 2-1 in the 86th minute. Again, the play was setup by Neymar.
The final few minutes were a frenzy for both teams, but the 2-1 score line would stand, and Brazil would save face in front of the home crowd. Uruguay can return home proud, as this is the hardest the Brazilian’s have had to work during this tournament.
Brazil will play tomorrow’s winner of the Spain/Italy match in the final.
