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Brazil rediscovers famous flair to beat U.S. 3-0
Associated Press
FIFA Confederations Cup
Robinho rounded off a 20th-minute counterattack of near breathtaking efficiency before Maicon, who had threatened throughout, started a second-half move on the right that ended with him lifting a deflected shot from a narrow angle over goalkeeper Tim Howard.
"I like the way we played," Brazil coach Dunga said. "The team didn't let the U.S. pressure us. We changed the ball from side to side very quickly. That helped us a lot."
The win at Loftus Versfeld gave Brazil six points in Group B, six more than a United States side that was dealt a red card for a second straight game and is now almost certain to be eliminated from the tournament.
The United States never looked like securing the point needed to maintain a realistic chance of progress and didn't manage a chance until substitute Benny Feilhaber hit the bar with seven minutes left.
"They're always going to be the better team, right?" Howard said. "It's just for us about going out and trying to give a good showing of ourselves because the best team doesn't always win. Today it did. We were overpowered, and sometimes you just come up against Goliath and David doesn't win."
Despite focusing before the match on Brazil's attacking fullbacks, the United States was unable to contend with Maicon's runs down the right and struggled throughout with the pace of the game.
Maicon set up Felipe Melo's seventh-minute header and in the first half alone came close to creating another two goals after Robinho's effort, which came from a move that started with a corner kick to the United States.
The sending off of midfielder Sacha Kljestan in the 57th for a foul on Ramires created even more space for Brazil to exploit and Maicon did so five minutes later after a move involving Ramires and Kaka.
"He played the ball off before I got there and I got him in the foot," Kljestan said. "I don't know if it was a red or not but the end state is that I let my team down today.
"It surprised me because the game played on and he (the referee) took a few minutes. Someone must have talked in his ear but I don't know who."
Kljestan will now be suspended for his teams' final group game against Egypt, while Brazil can bask in a win so comfortable that it was able to withdraw Kaka, Luis Fabiano and captain Lucio for the last 20 minutes.
Felipe Melo's header from a free kick by Maicon was the fourth of Brazil's five tournament goals to come from a set piece, but the five-time World Cup winners showed their famous flair for the next score.
Landon Donovan, again standing in as captain for the injured Carlos Bocanegra, tried to play a short corner to DaMarcus Beasley, but the midfielder failed to read the pass and it ran to Andre Santos to clear.
With Beasley slapping the ground in frustration, Kaka helped the ball to Ramires, who drifted out to the right and rolled a pass across the edge of the area to the onrushing Robinho.
FIFA Confederations Cup
The striker scored with a well-placed low shot and celebrated by faking an interview into a microphone at the advertising board to the right of the goal.
"When they are firing on all cylinders, it might be special to watch but it's a bugger to play against," Howard said. "The disappointing thing is from a tactical standpoint and a preparation standpoint, the coaches did a fantastic job.
"They told us to be careful of set pieces, they told us to be careful of Kaka picking the ball up and counterattacking and that's what we got hit with. We simply just didn't execute."
United States coach Bob Bradley sent on Conor Casey for the second half in place of Beasley, but little changed and Howard had to make three saves in the next 10 minutes.
Feilhaber and Casey both hit the bar in the last seven minutes but Brazil had done its job by then.
At Pretoria, South Africa
Brazil 2 1-3
United States 0 0-0
First half-1, Brazil, Felipe Melo 1 (Maicon), 7th minute. 2, Brazil, Robinho 1 (Ramires), 20th minute.
Second half-3, Brazil Maicon 1 (Kaka), 62nd minute.
Yellow Cards-Onyewu, US, 33rd. Red Card-Kljestan, US, 57th.
Referee-Massimo Busacca, Switzerland. Linesmen-Matthias Arnet, Switzerland; Franceco Buragina, Switzerland.
A-39,617.
Lineups
Brazil-Julio Cesar; Maicon, Lucio (Luisao, 70th), Miranda, Andre Santos; Gilberto Silva, Felipe Melo, Ramires, Kaka (Julio Baptista, 69th); Robinho, Luis Fabiano (Nilmar, 69th)
United States-Tim Howard; Jonathan Bornstein, Jay DeMerit, Oguchi Onyewu, Jonathan Spector; Michael Bradley, Sacha Kljestan, DaMarcus Beasley (Conor Casey, 46th), Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan; Jozy Altidore (Benny Feilhaber, 60th)
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