Football Insane

Brazil showed their true World Cup colours at Soccer City on Sunday, turning on the turbo to beat Ivory Coast 3-1 in Group G with two goals from Luis Fabiano securing their place in the last 16.

But Brazil’s delight was curtailed when midfielder Kaka was controversially sent off for a second yellow card two minutes from time.

Their first three shots on target produced three goals — the first two from Luis Fabiano after 25 and 50 minutes — although there was a suspicion of handball about his second goal — and the third from Elano after 62 minutes.

Ivory Coast skipper Didier Drogba headed his team’s goal after 79 minutes as coach Dunga’s men largely outclassed the Africans for their 18th win in their last 20 internationals. Read more…

Cristiano Ronaldo, the world’s most expensive player, scored a dream debut goal as Real Madrid’s new generation of expensive ‘Galacticos’ defeated Deportivo La Coruna 3-2 in Saturday’s Spanish league curtain-raiser.

Real spent over €250 million in the summer with Ronaldo accounting for€ 94 million of that, and the Portuguese star got off to a great start converting a first half penalty for his first competitive goal in the famous white shirt.

The cameras were out in force for Ronaldo and Kaka, the past two Ballon d’Or winners, but it was a player that cost Real nothing, captain and youth product Raul, who stole the first half headlines.

Raul, the club’s all-time leading scorer, netted the first goal of the new season with a simple tap-in on 26 minutes and won Ronaldo’s penalty on 35 minutes after Depor had equalised.

Real twice went ahead only to be pegged back at 1-1 and 2-2 through Riki (30min) and Juan Carlos Valeron (46).

French midfielder Lass Diarra was the unlikely hero firing in on the hour mark to ensure new coach Manuel Pellegrini and his Galacticos got off to a winning start.

The world watched on as Real’s new superstars took to the field and there was a special guest appearance as Jamaican sprint king Usain Bolt dribbled a ball onto the pitch to wild applause.

It was Bolt’s first time on the Bernabeu pitch and there were seven other debutants for Real with Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema forming an attacking trio alongside Real veteran Raul.

Xabi Alonso, a €30 million summer arrival from Liverpool, made his bow alongside Diarra in midfield while his old Liverpool team-mate Alvaro Arbeloa began at right back.

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