Brazil bows out in second round

By John F. Molinaro, CBCSports.ca

Just like the first round, the second round of the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup provided plenty of talking points for fans of the beautiful game.

Here are just some of the highlights:

Luiz Adriano bemoans Brazil's early exit. (CP PHOTO/Richard Lam)

Brazil goes home early: Four-time world champions were knocked out of the tournament after suffering a 4-2 loss in extra time to Spain. The South Americans fell flat in Canada, winning only one game and giving up more goals than they scored. Touted as one of the pre-tournament favourites, Brazil never fully recovered from its 1-0 loss to Poland, stumbling to a 3-2 win over South Korea and dropping a 2-1 decision to the United States. Star forward Alexandre Pato failed to live up to expectations, while Brazilian defenders were often lost at sea - just two reasons why Brazil failed to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in 15 tournament appearances.

Nigeria carries African hopes: All four African nations qualified for the second round, but only one - Nigeria - made it out alive: Austria beat Gambia 2-1, Mexico defeated Congo 3-0, and Nigeria bested Zambia 2-1. Nigeria has impressed in Canada, finishing the first round undefeated (two wins and a draw) and recording three straight shutouts before conceding against Zambia. The Flying Eagles have played entertaining soccer, scoring some memorable goals and winning the hearts of neutral fans with their indomitable spirit. Nigeria suffered a 2-1 loss to Argentina in the final of the 2005 tournament in the Netherlands, but the Africans could take the title this year.

Chile marches on: The fact that Chile is still undefeated (three wins and one draw) and has yet to concede a goal speaks volumes about the South Americans' character. Not only did Chile post impressive wins over Canada (3-0 in Toronto on July 1) and Congo (3-0 on July 5 in Edmonton), but it also battled to a hard-fought 0-0 draw with Austria on July 8 in Toronto to finish first in Group A. And what was Chile's reward for winning the group? A trip back to Edmonton where it defeated Portugal 1-0 in the second round. Now, Chile must travel back east to play Nigeria in Sunday's quarter-final. Talk about racking up air miles.

Plucky Americans: Uruguay's hex on the United States is finally over. Michael Bradley was the hero for the Americans in extra time, scoring in the 107th minute to lift the U.S. to a dramatic 2-1 win over Uruguay in Toronto. The U.S. levelled the score with three minutes left in regulation before Bradley blasted his shot into the roof of the net in the second overtime period. The U.S. had previously lost all three of its games against Uruguay at the U-20 World Cup, dating back to their first meeting, at the 1981 tournament in Australia. Coach Thomas Rongen applauded his players' heart and determination in fighting back when the game appeared to be over. "We knew this was going to be a hard game against a tough opponent," Rongen told reporters after the game. "It was really tough down to the wire. But we prevailed."

Best goal: Though Sergio Aguero scored some magnificent goals in Canada, none was more spectacular than the one he potted in Argentina's 3-1 win over Poland in Toronto to send the South American powerhouse to the quarter-finals. With the game tied 1-1, Aguero notched Argentina's second goal on a fantastic individual effort in the 46th minute. Aguero, who plays in Spain with Atletico Madrid, spun around on the edge of the penalty box while playing the ball over his head, then effortlessly slid between two dumbfounded Polish defenders and hammered a driving shot into the back of the net. The highlight-reel goal was reminiscent of Paul Gascoigne's legendary strike score for England against Scotland at Euro '96.

Unbeatable Argentina: It's now 10 games and counting for Argentina - that's how many consecutive contests the South Americans have gone unbeaten at the U-20 World Cup, dating back to the 2005 competition. The reigning world champions have looked unbeatable in Canada (the Poland game marked the first time they trailed in this tournament) and you get the sense from watching them play that Argentina look a sure bet to repeat as champions and claim an unprecedented sixth world title - unless a bout of food poisoning hits the team.

Best game: The marquee matchup of the second round more than lived up to the hype. Spain rallied from a two-goal deficit to stun Brazil 4-2 in Burnaby, B.C. Alberto Bueno's goal in the 12th minute of extra time eliminated the Brazilians. With Spain on the attack, forward Diego Capel sent a crossing pass to Bueno, who headed the ball by Brazil's goalkeeper Cassio. Adrian Lopez added a fourth goal in the final minute to end any hope of a comeback by Brazil. "The reaction of the team after the score was 2-0 was very, very important," said Esteban Granero, a second-half substitute who was involved in the play that led to Bueno's goal. "Our physical condition enabled us to attack more in the extra time."