• 
• 

Published on February 4, 2008

The unbeaten Brazilians had steamrolled all their opponents to reach the final without conceding a goal and the signs were ominous for Argentina.

The Samba boys saw many of their shots whiz past the target in the first half, before Joao Batista Carvalho found the mark just a minute before half-time, tapping in a cross from Ari Santos.

Lenisio Teixeira Junior opened the second half by handing Brazil a 2-0 lead before Alessandro Rosa Vieira made it 3-0 just minutes later. William Alves Morais' impressive volley after a clever pass from Carvalho ensured a comfortable win.

"We are very happy to win the game as we lost 3-2 to them last time. Today our players were very strong in their defensive duties," said Brazil's assistant coach Marcos Sorata.  "We were forced to field an injured Falcao because we needed our best player in the crucial game," he said.

The Argentines blamed tiredness for a below-par performance. "Our boys played well in the first half, but they were very tired in the second.

However, Brazil showcased a professional performance," said Argentina coach Jose Fernando.

Earlier, in-form Iran shocked the Netherlands with a splendid shot in the 39th minute by Majid Latifi as the reigning Asian champions edged past the Dutch 3-2 to win the Plate in an absorbing Division 2 final.

China outclassed England 7-3 to record their first victory in the tournament and took home the Bowl.

Kuala Lumpur

Somporn Suphop

The Nation