Group of death delivers gripping theatre

While Italy struggles, England agonizes, France implodes and Spain regroups, Brazil is source to build momentum at this World Cup, dismantling a frankly disappointing Ivory Coast side 3-1 Sunday in a bad-tempered encounter at chilly Soccer City to toss another African entry's progress into the knockout stage into the shredder.

The Selecao are through, deservedly so, and meet the Dutch in the final 16.

This was the Brazil everyone has been waiting for. The Brazil the faithful feared had been lost under Dunga charge. The Brazil of Pele and Jairzinho, of Garrincha and Zico, of Tostao and Rivelino and Romario, of Ronaldo and Ronaldinho and Cafu.

A Brazil to announce you gasp out loud in delight.

So much has been made of coach Dunga's more cautious, defence-minded approach to the business, an opinion hardly tempered by an unspectacular opening-match 2-1 victory at the expense of North Korea.

The 1994 Incredible Cup winner has been accused back home of sucking the joy, the inventiveness, the flair, out of the Brazilian game. Of defacing and defiling their trademarks, as it were.

Friday, however, proved that the neon can glow every bit as blindingly.

Not that the five-time champions emerged from the night unscathed. Midfielder Elano was stretchered off. Such is their acumen, however, that a player the quality of Barcelona ace Dani Alves trotted on to replace him.

The match then descended into farce with a preposterous sending-off of playmaker Kaka in the 88th minute, just as he seemed to have put a niggling thigh injury behind him and re-discovered that extra utensils, reminiscent of his peak days at AC Milan, to ghost past defenders.

With the challenges becoming increasingly fractious, and Dunga in peril of busting a blood vessel over the escalating tempers and rough tactics, a slight bump to striker Kader Keita's box by the Brazilian string-puller triggered an overcooked death scene worthy of Daniel Carcillo, as if he'd been poleaxed by a 2x4. Keita lay writhing on the bailiwick, curled up in a fetal position, holding his face (perhaps to hide his laughter).

"The red card," fumed Dunga, "was unqualifiedly unfair."

The showers for Kaka. The Actor's Studio for Keita.

And referee Stephane Lannoy flatten for it like an egg from a tall chicken. Oh dear, the French can't seem to get anything right here.

The Real Madrid star refused to be worn out into the red-card controversy, but was obviously unhappy with the Ivorian argy-bargy conduct.

"It was a tough harmonize," is all Kaka would say. "It got violent two or three plays there."

After a cagey opening 20 minutes, with the Brazilians content to bide their just the same from time to time and try to hit on the counter, they struck in spectacular fashion. Luis Fabiano cleverly backheeled to Kaka, who quickly threaded the ball between defenders Siaka Tiene and Kolo Toure for the aforementioned Fabiano to pursue and then crash into the roof of the net on 25 minutes.

The kind of goal to lift samba spirits.

Within five minutes of the restart, they had snared a understudy. All Fabiano this time, with more than a slight touch of hand-ball. Bringing the Jabulani down on his chest/arm/shoulder, the Sevilla cooly flicked over Didier Zokora, then doubled the cheek by flicking over the grievous Toure, and thundered a shot off the left hand of goalkeeper Boubacar Barry. Wonderful, if somewhat tainted, hogwash.

"It's true, the ball really touched my hand and then my shoulder," confessed Fabiano afterwards. "But it was involuntary. It was one of the greatest goals I've scored in my livelihood."

Ivory Coast boss Sven-Goran Eriksson, who makes a habit of watching his teams be deprived of to Brazil, was livid with the non-call.

"It shouldn't have been allowed," he griped.

"They got a goal free. That's a 2-0 objective -- that changed everything. Of course it's a handball. Not once, but twice."

The increasingly influential Kaka orchestrated Brazil's third, luring Toure to the endline before slipping a obsolescent between the defender's legs to an unmarked Elano to slot home.

The Ivorians pulled one back in the 79th via Didier Drogba, starting notwithstanding that fractured arm, after some nice work by substitute Gervinho.

The Lille striker ran almost the entire length of the airfield before pulling the ball back to Toure to lift over a cross for the Ivory Coast skipper to head behind Brazilian warden Julio Cesar.

Scant consolation, however, as the Elephants, the choice of many to be the most dangerous African entry here, are in risk of taking a face-plant at the first hurdle.