Brazil thrash Italy 4-2

Confederations Cup - June 22

Brazil thrash Italy 4-2

With this win Brazil secured first place in Group A.  Fred was one of the best players for Brazil, scoring two goals

On a beautiful sunny afternoon in Salvador, Brazil put on a great performance for the fans, beating Italy, the European Championship runners-up, 4-2. The victory secured first place in Group A for the Brazil team, which will play the semi-final of the Confederations Cup on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 26, in Belo Horizonte. Their opponents will be the runners-up in group B: Uruguay.  Right at the beginning of the game, Brazil had two chances to score, through strikers Hulk and Neymar. The defender David Luiz was injured and was replaced by Dante. Italy played without two of their best players, Pirlo and De Rossi, but still managed to hold their own for much of the first half. But in the last minute, Brazil scored, through defender Dante. Nine minutes into the second half, Neymar scored a great goal from a free-kick (his first goal from a free-kick for the Brazil team). Shortly after, Fred made it 3-1.When the game seemed set, Italy scored their second goal. The Italians pressured Brazil and almost tied with a header by Maggio, who hit Júlio César's crossbar. Minutes before the end of the game, striker Fred scored again.  The Italians have not beaten Brazil for 31 years. Their last win was in the 1982 World Cup, when the great team with Zico, Socrates and Falcão was knocked out by Italy, 3-2.

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Vocabulary

1 to trash – bater / derrotar / golpear duramente

2 runners-up – vice-campeão

3 to hold their own – aqui = equilibrar (o jogo)

4 free-kick – falta / tiro livre

5 seemed set – parecia definido

6 to tie - empatar

7 header - cabeçada