The report:
Got this from the Channel News Asia website (www.channelnewsasia.com):
Football: Brazil wins Pre-Olympics exhibition match in Singapore
SINGAPORE: Led by AC Milan star Ronaldinho, Brazil’s pre-Olympics preparations were off to a smooth start as the samba kings defeated a stubborn Singapore Selection side 3-0 in an exhibition match on Monday.
The Brazilians dominated possession for most of the first half of the match but failed to find the net as they missed several clear chances inside the penalty box area and faced stiff resistance from the Singapore side.
Werder Bremen midfielder Diego broke the deadlock in the 20th minute with a goal from just outside the penalty box, while newly-signed AC Milan star Ronaldinho made his mark with a close range effort in the 27th minute to lift the score to 2-0.
Left-footed Brazilian forward Jo, who recently inked a four-year deal with English Premier League club Manchester City, found the net in the second-half with a close range effort to take his side up 3-0.
Brazil head next to Hanoi where they will play a friendly against Vietnam’s national side on August 1.
The South American giant won the World Cup a record five times but have came up short at the Olympics, finishing with a silver medal in the 1984 and 1988 Games, and bronze in 1996.
The Olympic tournament begins August 6, with the final on August 23. – AFP/de
My thoughts:
Oh my, I actually predicted the score correctly in my previous post. And if I’d plonked down $100 on a 3-0 scoreline at Singapore Pools, I would have won $600. According to newspaper reports, the odds for a 0-3 scoreline was $6.00 (in other words, every $1 wins you $6).
Except that that would never have happened. I don’t know about you and I won’t judge either, but although I do enjoy the occasional flutter on a fotball bet, I’m not the sort to ever place a bet against Singapore. Not even if it is a Singapore Select side, lke tonight.
I don’t know – I’ve seen friends laughing their way to the bank before because of the easy money there is to make when Singapore takes on a sueprior team. And I’ve had to put up with the “Come on, surely yu must be joking” jibes and ribbing when I tell them I’ll pass on making such a bet.
It’s just that the act comes across as a form of betrayal to me and I don’t think I can ever live with myself if I were to do so.
In the same way, I’d rather that my prediction wasn’t spot on and that the Singapore Selection side made me eat humble pie by holding Brazil to a draw or pinning them down to just a goal.
I’d be a lot happier. Honestly.
Well, at least the AFP/CNA report described the Singapore Selection side as “stubborn”.
I also found highlights of the three goals on Youtube. There was a longer, 9-minute clip but I think this three-minute one should suffice.
Yours in sport
Singapore Sports Fan
Related links:
28 July: Point to ponder: Why a Singapore Selection team, and not a full Lions side, against Brazil?
The Singapore Sports Fan Says... 