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Lions make Confederations semis
http://www.sina.com.cn 2003/06/23 11:35  Shanghai Daily

  Cameroon and France have already advanced. Japan versus Colombia and Brazil vs Turkey will decide the other two spots in the Confederations Cup semifinals being played in France.

  The Japan-Colombia match is up first at St Etienne's Geoffroy Guichard stadium.

  The Asians need only a draw while the South American champion must win.

  Not that it makes that much of a difference for Japan's Brazilian coach Zico.

  "This team doesn't have the ability to play for a draw," he said on Saturday after a training session. "We have to play to win and if it comes down to a draw Japan advances."

  "Above all, they have to beat us. A 0-0 result and it is ours," he said.

  World Cup winner Brazil must win its game today against the Turks, who need only a draw.

  On Saturday, Brazil's young and experimental team edged the United States 1-0 on a goal by Parma star Adriano, his first for the national team.

  The perennial champions looked less than impressive for the second consecutive match, following a 0-1 loss to Cameroon in its opener.

  In its first official competition since clinching a record fifth World Cup trophy last year, Brazil is sorely missing its star players such as Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Roberto Carlos who stayed away from the tournament.

  In the 21st minute, Adriano, making his fourth appearance for Brazil, robbed the ball off Gregg Berhalter when the American defender hesitated on the edge of his area.

  The 21-year-old striker struck his first shot straight at goalie Tim Howard but then fired the rebound into the open net.

  Against a side ranked 10th in the world, Brazil showed the same sluggishness and lack of polish which flawed its performance in its opening game loss.

  Only seven of the Brazilian players are returning from the 2002 World Cup team, and four are making their debut in the national squad.

  "We had to win both our last two games," coach Carlo Alberto Parreira said. "We've got the first in the bag, now we're going for the second."

  Cameroon already has the two wins it needed.

  Real Madrid midfielder Geremi scored an injury-time penalty on Saturday to give Cameroon a 1-0 victory over Turkey, securing the African champion a semifinal spot.

  "I knew I had to get it in to get Cameroon through," Geremi said. "Yes, there was pressure, but you think about what you can win and not what you can lose in a situation like this."

  With the final group-phase matches still to be played, Cameroon has already claimed the feel-good story of the tournament.

  A year after its disastrous World Cup performance, which was blamed on its five-day late arrival to Japan, Cameroon has put the "indomitable" back in its "Indomitable Lions" nickname.

  "We made a serious faux pas at the World Cup last year and we are trying to make up for that," Geremi said. "We have now defeated the World Cup champion Brazil and Turkey, the third place finishers of the World Cup."

  Cameroon can relax in its final group-phase match against the US today. Before then, the Africans may want to take a look at the match between Japan and Colombia, one of whom could be the Africans' semifinal opponent.




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