By our man in Doha
DOHA, Qatar – THE Samba Boys survived a brutal 120-minute slog in the blistering heat of the Aspire Zone yesterday, eventually beating Paraguay 5-4 on penalties to book their place in the next round of the U-17 World Cup.
In a bizarre spectacle, the intense drama of a World Cup knockout clash unfolded on one of the purpose-built pitches at the huge Aspire Zone sports complex in Doha, Qatar—a venue more known for its state-of-the-art training facilities than a sudden-death showdown.
Under the watch of an expectant, but scattered, crowd at the colossal facility, the two South American rivals cancelled each other out completely, grinding out a grim 0-0 draw that saw both sides struggle to dominate on the pristine turf.
The match official blew the whistle for full time, sending the young players straight to the dreaded penalty shootout on the synthetic pitch that will host dozens of other games in this expanded 48-team tournament.
And it was the boy between the sticks for Brazil, João Pedro, who emerged the hero.
The young keeper, clearly relishing the unusual desert setting, made a crucial save to deny Paraguay in the final sudden-death moments, sending the Brazilian bench into raptures.
The victorious Brazilians celebrated wildly, showing that whether you’re playing in the Maracanã or a high-tech training pitch in the Middle East, the magic of a penalty win never fades.
They now move on to the quarter-finals, where they will face France, who dispatched Colombia 2-0.
