Ronaldinho sent off as Brazil go out
Brazil 2 Turkey
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Your support makes all the difference.A year ago Brazil beat Turkey in their World Cup semi-final but 12 months on the boys from the Balkans exacted a measure of revenge. This entertaining draw eliminated the South Americans from the Confederations Cup and set up Senol Gunes' side for a semi-final with France in Paris on Thursday.
However, Turkey, who face England in a crucial Euro 2004 qualifier in October, may face sanctions from world football's governing body, Fifa, for their fans' behaviour as objects were thrown and several supporters ran on to the pitch to celebrate Yilmaz Okan's 80th-minute goal. Alex equalised in injury-time and then Ronaldinho was sent off for a second yellow card after a skirmish with Rustu Recber to get the ball back for the kick-off.
Brazil may have come without several of their leading players, such as Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Rivaldo, but one of those who did make the trip, the much-coveted Ronaldinho, may almost as well have not bothered, such was his slight impact on the early part of this match.
Yet it was his less heralded team-mates who inflicted the early damage on Turkey in this decisive group game. With just eight minutes gone in a match that may as well have been played in Istanbul, given the amount of Turks inside the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium, Ilan hit the post from a cross by Kleberson. Eight minutes later and Adriano's shot was cleared off the line by Bulent Korkmaz. However, the Parma striker made amends after 23 minutes when Lucio struck a 50-yard pass that bounced up invitingly for Adriano to lob Rustu, who had rushed off his line.
In a game they had to win to reach the semi-finals, Brazil paid the price for a complacent start to the second half when Senol Gunes' side equalised eight minutes after the break. Karadeniz Gokdeniz had already gone close from 30 yards moments earlier. However, the central midfielder made no mistake when closer in, and from almost the identical spot where Adriano had scored, the Trabzonspor player beat the offside trap and calmly lobbed the Brazilian goalkeeper.
BRAZIL (4-4-2): Dida (Milan); Gilberto (Gremio), Lucio, Juan (both Bayer Leverkusen), Maurinho (Cruzeiro); Ricardinho (São Paulo), Ronaldinho (Paris St-Germain), Kleberson (Atletico Paranaense), Emerson (Roma); Adriano (Parma), Ilan (Atletico Paranaense). Substitutes: Gil (Corinthians) for Ilan, 62; Alex (Cruzeiro) for Ricardinho, 63; Kleber (Corinthians) for Gilberto, 73.
TURKEY (4-5-1): Rustu; Akyel (both Fenerbahce); Korkmaz (Galatasaray), Alpay (Aston Villa), Uzulmez (Besiktas); Penbe, Arslan (both Galatasaray), Basturk (Bayer Leverkusen), Sahin (Istanbulspor), Karadeniz (Trabzonspor); Sanli (Fenerbahce). Substitutes: Yilmaz (Bursapor) for Arslan, 36; Toraman (Galatasaray) for Penbe, 73.
Referee: M Merk (Germany).
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