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Brazil v North Korea19:30 BST


Venue: Johannesburg, Ellis Park
Date: Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Kick-off: 19:30 BST
Coverage: ITV and BBC Radio 5 live, live text commentary and video highlights on this website
TEAM NEWS

Brazil coach Dunga has a fully-fit squad to choose from after Julio Cesar overcame the back injury he sustained in a warm-up match with Zimbabwe. Former Manchester City player Elano is expected to be chosen ahead of Ramires in midfield.
North Korea's selections are usually surrounded in mystery. Using the bulk of players that helped them through qualifying, they will line-up in a 4-5-1 formation.
MATCH PREVIEW

The highest-ranked team at the World Cup versus the lowest ranked, five-time winners versus a country making only their second appearance on football's greatest stage. Brazil v North Korea is about the biggest clash of footballing cultures that you can expect to see at this World Cup.
The North Korean squad enchanted fans during their fairytale run to the quarter-finals at the 1966 World Cup, but their 2010 incarnation is a different beast altogether. Their team seem to embody elements of their political regime back home, shrouded in secrecy, patriotic to the extreme and intensely distrusting of the media.
Their primary goal in the 'Group of Death' will be to defend, utilising the ultra- cautious 5-4-1 formation that proved to be so difficult to breach in their qualifying campaign. The best they can hope for is that 'the people's Rooney', bustling striker Jong Tae-se, can conjure something out of nothing.
While this Brazilian squad is not quite as swashbuckling as ones from World Cups gone by, Dunga's teak-tough team still contains the likes of Robinho and Kaka, who are more than capable of playing the beautiful game. "There are a lot of stiff waists in the team, Kaka, Luis Fabiano," said Robinho of his team-mates. "I want to see if they can dance a little better." While you can be sure of Brazil cracking a smile or two during the World Cup, don't expect the serious North Koreans to celebrate an unlikely goal with a samba shuffle of their own.
MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

- This is the first time the sides have met.
Brazil

- They have won the World Cup in all the continents it has been staged (North America, South America, Europe and Asia) so winning it in Africa would complete the set.
- They have lost just once in their last 26 matches (at altitude v Bolivia in La Paz).
- Luis Fabiano has not scored for Brazil since September (v Argentina), a run of eight matches.
- Brazil's squad is the oldest at this World Cup and is the oldest squad they have sent to a World Cup
North Korea

- This is North Korea's first appearance in the World Cup for 44 years. This is the fourth longest interval between World Cup participations. The joint-longest absence is 56-years, shared by Egypt (1934-1990) and Norway (1938-1994).
- They conceded just seven goals in 16 qualifying games.
- They scored just five goals in their last five games.
MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Viktor Kassai (Hungary)
Assistants: Gabor Eros and Tibor Vamos (Hungary)
Fourth official: Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh Malaysia)

Brazil squad


  • 01 Julio Cesar
  • 02 Maicon
  • 03 Lucio
  • 04 Juan
  • 05 Felipe Melo
  • 06 Michel Bastos
  • 07 Elano
  • 08 Silva
  • 09 Luis Fabiano
  • 10 Kaka
  • 11 Robinho
  • 12 Gomes

  • 13 Daniel
  • 14 Luisao
  • 15 Thiago Silva
  • 16 Gilberto
  • 17 Josue
  • 18 Ramires
  • 19 Julio Baptista
  • 20 Jose Kleberson
  • 21 Nilmar
  • 22 Doni
  • 23 Grafite

North Korea squad


  • 01 Guk
  • 02 Cha
  • 03 Ri
  • 04 Pak
  • 05 Ri
  • 06 Kim
  • 07 An
  • 08 Ji
  • 09 Tae-Se Jong
  • 10 Hong
  • 11 Mun
  • 12 Choe

  • 13 Jin
  • 14 Pak
  • 15 Kim
  • 16 Nam
  • 17 Ahn
  • 18 Kim
  • 19 Ri
  • 20 Kim
  • 21 Ri
  • 22 Kim
  • 23 Pak
Likely tactical play:
Brazil:
http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/06/09/brazil-tactics-world-cup-2010/
North Korea:
http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/05/26/north-korea-a-better-side-than-you-might-expect/

My prediction: 4-0 mauling
 
How long it take you to type that up? Copy and Paste right
literally 30 seconds, but its not supposed to be an article, just info for the match
 
Be interesting because Dunga's Brazil aren't renowned to play 'sexy' football like they usually do, a side based on defence rather than attack.
 
i really cant guess the score of this so i will sit on the fence and just say brazil will win.
 
Be interesting because Dunga's Brazil aren't renowned to play 'sexy' football like they usually do, a side based on defence rather than attack.

Still though, with players like Kaka, Robinho, Maicon, Lucio, Julio Cesar, Luis Fabiano and Elano it would be difficult to lose against North Korea, even if North Korea are a well-drilled side.
 
For some reason I thought we were going to see footage of a 1930s match but I don't think Korea was divided at that point.
 
Still though, with players like Kaka, Robinho, Maicon, Lucio, Julio Cesar, Luis Fabiano and Elano it would be difficult to lose against North Korea, even if North Korea are a well-drilled side.

The sad thing is that most people in North Korea don't even know that the world cup is on. :(
 
Still though, with players like Kaka, Robinho, Maicon, Lucio, Julio Cesar, Luis Fabiano and Elano it would be difficult to lose against North Korea, even if North Korea are a well-drilled side.

I think they will win but they won't do it in outstanding fashion like they usually do at World Cups.
 
Even with Brazils side not being as great as in previous tournaments, im going to stick my neck out and say 7-0 Brazil.
 
That North Korea bloke who was crying is a legend :)
 
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