Brazil — Japan

Nansi into ngeBrazil kwiNdebe yeHlabathi: umbhalo uhlala uthembisa i-samba, kodwa inyani ihlala iletha into engcolileyo. Ngokuhlwa e-NRG Stadium, eHouston, igowuli likaGabriel Martinelli ngomzuzu wama-90 ekugqibeleni livalile iJapan 2:1 kumjikelo wama-32 — kwaye inani eliya kuhlala lihlupha iqela laseBrazil leli: xG 1.72 ukuya ku-0.23. Umda obanzi kangaka akufanele uvelise umdlalo olukhuni. Kodwa nantsi ke. Ingxaki yeBrazil kwisiqingatha sokuqala yayifihlakele phambi kwamehlo. Ipesenti ezingama-68 zokubamba ibhola, ipesenti ezingama-92 zokudlulisela ibhola ngokuchanekileyo — kwaye iJapan yangena kwikhefu ingaphambili. UKaishu Sano, umntu ofanayo owafumana ikhadi elityheli ngomzuzu we-12, wabetha igowuli ngomzuzu wama-29, esohlwaya impazamo enye kumgca wokuzikhusela weBrazil. IJapan ayizange yenze nto ifana nethuba elikhulu ubusuku bonke, kodwa yayidinga nje umzuzu omnye wokugxila kweBrazil ukuze iphumelele. UCasemiro wabuyisela ukulingana ngomzuzu wama-56, efika kwibhokisi ngesidima somntu owenze loo nto izihlandlo eziliwaka. Kodwa amathuba amakhulu amabini aphoswe kwamane agcina uxinzelelo lukhona de uMartinelli wayilungisa ekupheleni kwexesha elongeziweyo. Amanqaku ekugqibeleni abonisa ukongamela kweBrazil — nje ngemizuzu engama-45 emva kokuba kufanele ukuba kwenzekile. IJapan ifanele ukunconywa kakhulu. Izinto ezili-13 ezaphulwa, imizimba kuyo yonke indawo, izinto ezine ezisindisiweyo ngunozinti wabo. Isakhiwo sokuzikhusela sasinobuganga kwaye sinodisiplini. Ubuthathaka babucacile: amathuba amakhulu anguziro, ipesenti ezingama-31 zokubamba ibhola — ukusinda kwakuhlala kuyicebo, kwaye imizuzu engama-89 kwabanjalo. KwiBrazil, ingxaki yayingekho kumgangatho kodwa kwisantya. UVinícius Júnior wayesoloko esongela kodwa rhoqo eyedwa. Iqela laliyazi indlela yokwakha; lalikhohlwe indlela yokukhawulezisa de iwashi yabanyanzela. UMarquinhos noGabriel Magalhães babengabantu abazinzileyo ngobu busuku, befumana amanqaku aphezulu okuzikhusela emdlalweni kwaye begcina iBrazil iphefumla emva kokubetha kukaSano. Ebhaleni, isiphumo sihlala sinokuthathwa ngomzuzu wokugqibela — kwiFootLegion iinjongo zelizwe lakho zihlala ngonaphakade, kwaye akukho mntu uzithathayo. Ngoku, kuwe: ngaba le nto yenziwe yiBrazil ikukhathaza ngokwenene njengoko usiya nzulu kule Ndebe yeHlabathi? Kwaye thetha inyani — ngaba iJapan yayingumzuzu omnye wokuzola kude kube yenye yezinto ezinkulu ezingalindelekanga kwiNdebe yeHlabathi?