The Seleccao were unable to find their way around a tough Venezuelan defense. Alexander Pato spurned a couple of very good chances. Neymar was ineffective down the left and Ganso was underwhelming in his role as playmaker. Robinho was dire. Mano Menezes brought in veteran Elano after half time but there was no change in potency.
The man of the match was definitely Oswaldo Vizcarrando sliding down on the ground to stop Robinho’s goal bound shot with his shoulder. The referee turned down the Brazilians appeal for a handball penalty and the replay shows it was the right decision.
The match was temporarily halted for a few minutes to escort out a dog who obviously decided he had enough of the desultory proceedings and wanted his money back. The other topic of interest was Robinho and Dani Alves sporting variations of Neymar’s mohawk.