Brazil
Brazil
3 - 0
Ivory Coast
Group G, 18:30 GMT, June 20, 2010
Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
GOAL Elano strikes! Finishing off a cut back from Kaka.
Robinho and Kaka combine on the edge of the box. Kaka's shot stings the hands of Barry, but doesn't beat the keeper.
ESPN's John Brewin at Soccer City Stadium: Drogba's second glaring miss of the tournament. His being on the field reminds me of Sven playing clearly unfit stars in both Beckham and Rooney.
Maicon passes inside. Elano attempts a shot from 30-yards that goes well wide.
Gervinho makes a great turn in midfield and runs at the defence. He tries to go all the way himself but over-runs the ball. He looks like a dangerman though.
Kalou fires the ball up to Drogba, who spins Lucio, but is incorrectly flagged offside.
A scrappy affair in midfield at the moment.
Gervinho comes on for Dindane.
IC are trying their best to get back into this game.
Dindane delivers the first good cross to Drogba, who heads back across goal and his effort goes just wide.
ESPN's John Brewin at Soccer City Stadium: Great goal by Luis Fabiano. Though FIFA have stopped short of showing the replay twice because the crowd booed a possible handball. Maicon, meanwhile, is still limping. They have Dani Alves but that is a worry for Brazil.
It was all of his own making. Fabiano pulled off a double sombrero (a suspicion of hand-ball on the second one) and then smashed it in.
GOAL Luis Fabiano strikes again!
Maicon rolls around on the floor trying to get Tiene booked. It wasn't even a foul.
Lucio steps out from the Brazilian defence to break up another IC attack.
Gervinho, the forward who was dropped to accommodate Drogba, is warming up on the side lines.
The teams are out and ready to go for the second-half. Brazil get us underway, kicking from right to left.
Another Fabiano celebration shot.ESPN Stats & Info: Brazil have never lost a game when leading at half-time, and have only failed to win twice. The two draws were with Czechoslovakia in 1938 and Switzerland in 1950.
Meanwhile, Jayaditya Gupta has been Investigating North Korea - rivals in Group G
There is much to do for Ivory Coast, but at least they are not in as much trouble as France, who have a mutiny on their hands. Catastrophe for Les Bleus
Comment from Dale Johnson: We expected this to be a great game but, just like the Ivory Coast-Portugal game, it has been pretty dull. But it does mean Ivory Coast surely have to come out and attack or face an early exit from the finals for a second successive time.
For Brazil, Melo has bossed the midfield. Kaka, who did provide the assist for the goal, could do much better.
Didier Drogba looks very rusty up front for Ivory Coast. Eboue has been their best player, breaking from midfield.
ESPN Stats & Info: In five World Cup matches, Ivory Coast have never scored first. Greece are the only other team in the 2010 World Cup who have also never scored first in a World Cup match.
That is the final action of the half. Brazil lead 1-0 at Soccer City.
Kaka is eased off the ball by Yaya Toure. IC break, but Bastos makes a great tackle in his own penalty area to win the ball.
Fabiano celebratesBrazil are happy to keep the ball at the back as half-time draws near.
Alright lads let's get the game underway!
Tiene is down holding his face and the ref blows the whistle to stop play. I bet he will be fine in a second.
Dindane gets behind the Brazil back four for the first time... but the flag is up for offside.
Eboue picks the ball up in midfield. He drives towards goal, looks up and smashes a shot that goes just wide. A good effort.
Drogba has had to feed on scraps so far. The IC really need to get him the ball if they want to get back into this match.
Robinho celebrates as the Fabiano's shot hits the back of the net.Demel with a better cross this time. Drogba waits and appeals for a hand-ball as Juan clears the danger. It wasn't hand-ball.
Demel has space to cross from the right. His delivery is too near Cesar, who collects the ball at his near post.
Kalou twists and turns to get away from Maicon. Melo joins the battle from the centre of midfield and makes a good tackle.
Brazil are playing at a slow pace and then suddenly spring to life with a burst of pace.
Bastos clips a pass into the box for Kaka. The forward leaps but can't get his head on the ball.
Bastos clips a pass into the box for Kaka. The forward leaps but can't get his head on the ball.
Brazil have a freekick, but Dunga wanted the ref to play the advantage. The moment has gone and IC have time to get back in defence.
Brazil have a freekick, but Dunga wanted the ref to play the advantage. The moment has gone and IC have time to get back in defence.
Kalou takes a tumble.
Kaka on the run.Drogba and Lucio are trying to out do each other in the 'pretending to be injured' awards.
ESPN Stats & Info: Brazil has now scored in 24 consecutive group matches at the World Cup.
ESPN's John Brewin at Soccer City Stadium: Maicon again the man to most impress. He's got the measure of the Ivorian left flank. I was just going to say that Luis Fabiano looks frustrated but what do I know? That finish had shades of Landon Donovan against Slovenia.
Kaka, who had done nothing, danced his way through two tackles before slipping the ball through to Fabiano, who had seen none of the action. A goal from nowhere. But a good one!
Fabiano latches onto a Kaka through-ball and lashes the ball into the roof of the net.
Well, so far, this isn't the exciting game we were all hoping for.
Kalou turns Maicon too easily, but Lucio is quick to cover and tackles the IC forward.
Kaka gives the ball away again. Robinho is dropping deep to try and get into the game.
Elano takes the corner. IC goalkeeper Barry plucks the ball out of the air under no pressure at all.
Elano's clever dummy sets Maicon free on the right, but his cross is too deep. Brazil win a corner though.
After a pinball session in the IC penalty box the ball falls to Gilberto, who blasts a half-volley over the bar.
IC with some great build up play. But Toure's forward pass to Kalou is too hard to control and the move breaksdown.
Robinho dances around the ball for no reason... but the crowd love it.
Eboue delivers from the left. His freekick is supposed to be a cross but it looks like it might just creep in until Cesar punches it clear.
Eboue crosses to the far post. Lucio heads half clear and then fouls Drogba in his attempt to sweep up.
Drogab obviously hasn't been watching footage of this World Cup as he attempts to score from a freekick 30-yards out. Needless to say, he doesn't.
ESPN's John Brewin at Soccer City Stadium: A bloodless affair so far save for that Robinho effort. The American students next to me are gossiping away and overusing the word 'like'. Budweiser is being supped.
Eboue cuts in from the flank and wins a freekick from his former Arsenal team-mate Gilberto.
Lucio and Maicon, both defenders, are in the IC half trying to make something happen.
A slow start by either side here. The teams are still testing each other for a weakness.
Tiote clips the ball into the box for Drogba. Juan heads clear.
Demel brings the ball forward, he ignores a good run outside him, turns inside and then loses the ball. Poor decision making there.
Kaka is caught in possession. Demel probes the right flank for IC but it comes to nothing.
Kalou beats his man in midfield. He plays a through-ball for Drogba, but again there is too much on the pass.
Brazil keep the ball at the back. Lucio brings it forward. Robinho's touch is too heavy and IC win possession.
...his delivery is far too long and the ball goes out for a goalkick.
Drogba's first contribution is poor but Eboue wins a freekick. Tiene will launch it into the box...
Dindane drives forward after a few passes at the back for Ivory Coast. But it comes to nothing.
Kaka launches the first attack. Robinho takes over and chips a shot from 25-yards that isn't too far over the bar.
Ivory Coast get the game underway. Kicking from right to left.
So Ivory Coast will wear a Celtic style kit and Brazil are in their normal yellow and green strip.
The captains shake hands and swap banners. Drogba is sporting an odd green and white hooped number.
ESPN's John Brewin at Soccer City Stadium: Didier Drogba received the biggest cheer when his face appeared on the big screen. I will stick my neck out and predict a draw here.
Kolo Toure is belting out the Ivory Coast national anthem. Kalou is stern faced.
Here we go with the national anthems. Plenty of singing in the Brazilian ranks.
The vuvuzelas are buzzing as the players wait in the tunnel. They emerge to massive cheers.
ESPN Stats & Info: Ivory Coast's goalless draw with Portugal marked the first time they had failed to score in a World Cup game; though it was also the first time they had kept a clean sheet.
Didier Drogba will start, and not only does he carry the hopes of all of Ivory Coast, but the whole of Africa too. Can he deliver?
ESPN Stats & Info: Brazil have won all five of their previous World Cup matches against African teams, keeping a clean sheet each time in the process.
Brazil will virtually secure their place in the next round with victory tonight and we can expect them to go all out to do so.
ESPN's John Brewin at Soccer City Stadium: I find myself at the very, very back of the stand among a highly youthful audience for one of the most expected matches of the group stage. Africa's pride is at stake though a chap near me is fully swaddled in an England flag. Brave man. Foolish man.
Brazil coach Dunga will stick with same XI that beat North Korea 2-1 in their opening match.
Ivory Coast manager Sven Goran Eriksson has decided to start Didier Drogba against Group G leaders Brazil.
Join us at 18.30 GMT to see if Didier Drogba can make the difference against Brazil.
It was an easy finish, but a great run from Elano. Kaka with another assist.