Brazil 2-0 Argentina: Diego Tardelli double secures win for Dunga's side as Lionel Messi misses from the penalty spot

show ad

Indian football in shock after midfielder dies in hospital celebrating his goal attempting somersaults made famous by Klose
Arsenal keeper crisis means they will have to field third-choice stopper in the Champions League... so, just who is Emiliano Martinez?
Bale faces race against time for Real's Champions League trip to Liverpool
Rodgers: I want to manage in Spain one day... and I'm already learning language from my Liverpool players
Balotelli is like a lorry heading for the edge of a cliff... if he doesn't find form soon, he will take Liverpool with him
Di Maria to shine, Van Persie to fire and a partner for Blind... five things United need in bid to ignite season
'City are very weak this year': CSKA Moscow striker Musa stokes the fires ahead of Champions League clash
He barely scores, he barely runs and he's barely got any fans left... so, just how has Liverpool's £16m flop Balotelli lost his way?
Fabregas is already the heartbeat of Chelsea's revamped team... he is central to their title quest
10 THINGS WE LEARNED: Barry takes no notice of Villa boo-boys, Diame transformed at Hull... and Hart's done his homework
GRAHAM POLL: It was a bad day for refs, but the worst culprit was MOTD's Jonathan Pearce
'I cheated on my girlfriend and had sex with this girl. I'm ashamed, but she was definitely up for it... I did not rape anyone': Evans breaks silence
Aguero is USELESS in training, claims Hart (after striker becomes City's record Premier League scorer)
Mannone calls on team-mates to refund money spent by fans after 650-mile nightmare Saints trip
36 goals, 6 penalties, 4 own goals, 3 red cards and another crazy weekend in the Premier League... so, what were the top moments for our team of reporters?
JAMIE REDKNAPP: Spurs' signings since selling Bale have been average... Arsenal got stick for not buying players, but they've spent £100m on quality
United are still playing catch-up, claims Van Gaal despite £150m spree
Losing Suarez was 'short-term hit' on our 'magic carpet ride', says Rodgers
Tuilagi set to miss England's autumn test opener against New Zealand
Ancelotti: Ronaldo will end his career at Madrid - I'm 100 per cent certain he will not be at Man United next season
From the private jet to the big freeze of snowy Moscow, a dodgy pitch and an empty stadium for under pressure Man City
Lampard takes time out from City's title quest to join fans for wheelchair match
Man City fans plan to rent flat overlooking CSKA Moscow stadium for behind-closed-doors clash
Butland set to join Derby on loan after limited chances at Stoke

Dunga's Brazil beat South American rivals Argentina 2-0 in Saturday's friendly match in Beijing
Atletico Mineiro striker Diego Tardelli put Brazil ahead against the run of play after 28 minutes
Lionel Messi has a penalty saved by Jefferson in the 41st minute after Angel di Maria was fouled in the box
Tardelli doubled Brazil's lead when he nodded home his second of the match with 64 minutes gone
Kaka was treated to an excellent reception when he came on as a substitute after 82 minutes

By Peter Davis

Published: 09:12 EST, 11 October 2014 | Updated: 06:33 EST, 12 October 2014

183

View
comments

MATCH ZONE

Click here to see our brilliant Match Zone including a pitch map of Diego Tardelli's match-winning performance

It wasn't Lionel Messi, Neymar or even Kaka that stole the show in Beijing's first Superclasico de las Americas but Atletico Mineiro's Diego Tardelli.

Goals either side of half-time from the 29-year-old, who was fairly absent for much of the game, made it three wins from three for Brazil without conceding.

Much of the match build-up was centred on Beijing's pollution but thanks to a breezy Saturday afternoon it had all but cleared up in time for kick-off with levels dropping from 'Hazardous' to 'Moderate'.

VIDEO Scroll down to watch post-match reaction from Dunga as he emphasized the importance of the collective

Atletico Mineiro striker Diego Tardelli celebrates with Neymar after scoring his second of the match to wrap up victory against Argentina

Tardelli takes the plaudits from manager Dunga after his second goal put Brazil firmly in control against Argentina

The Atletico Mineiro forward wheels away in delight having just doubled his side's lead and his own tally for the match

The 29-year-old volleys home to put his side 1-0 up in the 28th minute as his effort bounced down past Argentina keeper Sergio Romero

Tardelli is congratulated by his team-mates after putting Brazil ahead against Argentina in the first half

Neymar rushes to congratulate Tardelli after the forward gave Brazil the lead with a sliced volley that flew past Romero

Brazil's players, led by captain Neymar, celebrate winning the Superclasico de las Americas against Argentina

Manager Dunga (second from right) joins in the post-match celebrations on the pitch at the Bird's Nest in Beijing

Brazil defender Danilo was harshly adjudged to have brought down Danilo in the box but Lionel Messi missed the resulting penalty

Brazil's players congratulate their goalkepeer Jefferson after he saved the penalty from Messi (centre) with 41 minutes gone

Messi went to Jefferson's right with his penalty but the Brazil keeper guessed right to deny the Barcelona star

A pumped-up Jefferson is delighted after denying Messi from the penalty spot in the 41st minute and high-fives midfielder Elias

Dunga: There is no room for individuals in my Brazil team

MATCH FACTS

Brazil: Jefferson, Danilo, Miranda, David Luiz, Filipe Luis, Willian, Luiz Gustavo, Elias, Oscar, Diego Tardelli (Kaka 82'), Neymar (c) (Robinho 90').

Subs not used: Cabral, Grohe, Romulo, Souza, Juan, Gil, Dodo, Mario Fernandes, Everton Ribero, Coutinho.

Goals: Tardelli 28, 64

Argentina: Romero, Zabaleta, Demichelis, Federico Fernandez, Rojo, Pereyra (Perez 76'), Mascherano, Lamela (Pastore 61'), Di Maria, Messi (c), Aguero (Higuain 61').

Subs not used: Marchesin, Guzman, Vergini, Otamendi, Roncaglia, Vangioni, Gago, Gaitan, Banega.

Saturday's meeting was a friendly but that's hardly the appropriate word for this rivalry. Since 1914 there have been 95 meetings between the two nations with results almost even, Argentina on 36 victories, Brazil with 35 and 24 matches finishing in a draw.

Argentina had won all but one game in the last 10 - that being their World Cup final loss to Germany - while Brazil's poor campaign saw them come under intense scrutiny following a 7-1 loss to the Germans.

The tables had turned somewhat for Brazil with back-to-back 1-0 wins over Colombia and Ecuador but the jury was still out.

Argentinian fans had plenty to be happy about in the opening 10 minutes with Manchester City man Sergio Agüero getting in on goal after just 15 seconds and Messi introducing himself with a couple of darting runs much to the delight of the Chinese fans.

Argentina continued to knock on the door with Di Maria and Agüero again creating but their finishing let them down.

Totally against the run of play though, Mineiro forward Diego Tardelli capitalised on some bad defending from Demichelis and Zabaleta to smash a volley home across Romero and give Brazil the lead on 28 minutes.

Tardelli had been a doubt before the game with an eye injury but his finish opened his international account in style.

Diego Tardelli was a peripheral figure for much of the game but popped up with both goals. See his pitch map in our brilliant Match Zone

Tardelli didn't see much of the ball but when he did he made it count and grabbed two goals from inside the area

Here is Lionel Messi's heatmap from the friendly, showing a strong attacking presence for Argentina

Neymar, heatmap above, was key to Brazil's forward play, particularly on the left and down the centre

David Luiz posted this picture of himself and Neymar celebrating Brazil's win in their dressing room after the match

Lionel Messi, far right, takes a free kick as Brazil's players, from left, Danilo, Miranda, Luiz Gustavo, Tardelli, and Elias defend their goal

Brazil's Neymar (R) fights for the ball with Argentina's Pablo Zabaleta (C) and Erik Lamela during the friendly match

Sergio Aguero (left) tries to get the better of David Luiz (right) as Argentina slumped to a disappointing defeat in Beijing

Neymar followed up by destroying the Argentina defence, the Barcelona star getting past Mascherano and leaving him in his wake before easing past Demichelis but he couldn't finish the chance.

With Argentina suddenly on the back foot, Danilo was outpaced by Manchester United's Di Maria who was brought down in the box just five minutes before the break.

The stage was set for Messi but the talismanic playmaker missed the opportunity to level matters as he hit a poor penalty which Jefferson palmed away.

Neymar (R), David Luiz (L), Federico Fernandez (second from left) and Pablo Zabaleta keep their eyes on the ball in Beijing

Argentina's Pereyra gets beyond Luiz Gustavo as Neymar watches on at the Bird's Nest

Brazil keeper Jefferson flings himself to his right to make a save during his team's 2-0 win against Argentina on Saturday

Brazil, clearly buoyed by their half-time lead, started much brighter. Chelsea full-back Filipe Luis hit a great chance over the bar before Neymar caused problems for Argentina.

Oscar also went close before Diego Tardelli got in on the act again with his second on 64 minutes - the corner came in and from the flick-on Tardelli nodded the ball home to double Brazil's advantage.

Argentina continued to try and find a way back into the game but Brazil looked as if they might have scored more.

Kaka was introduced in the latter stages to a massive reaction from the Chinese fans, with one getting so excited he followed his hero onto the pitch only to be swiftly removed.