Brazil Clinches Knockout Stage Spot With Fabiano Brace, Kaka Dismissal

The good news about Abdulkader Keita’s absolutely dreadful fake injury that caused Brazil’s Kaka to receive a red card in Brazil’s 3-1 win is that hundreds on Internet folks are hard at work turning his fall into the next great meme. Enjoy the original now and get ready for the “remixes.”

Brazil’s easy 3-1 win over Cote d’Ivoire will be overshadowed by late match petulance that lead to Kaká‘s ejection, but having clinched a spot in the knockout stage with their win Sunday, the Selecão can take consolation in being able to rest their star in a match of limited importance.

Luis Fabiano scored Brazil’s first two goals, one on each side of halftime, before Kaká set-up Elano for the third. Didier Drogba would head home a late consolation to give the African continent their first goal in World Cup play against Brazil. The match would end 3-1 but not before controversy.

Kaká will be suspended from Brazil’s match Portugal after Abdulkader Keita drew a second yellow card on the Brazilian midfielder, earning him a dismissal and a suspension for Brazil’s third group stage match.

In the match’s 86th minute, Keita had into Kaká and fell to the ground, holding his face. After play was halted amidst some contention posturing between the teams, Kaká as shown a yellow card in the 88th minute.

Dider Drogba has opened his World Cup 2010 account, heading Cote d’Ivoire to their first tournament goal, now down 3-1 to Brazil in the 80th minute.

A run with the ball by Gervinho against the run-of-play collapsed the defense, with the ball eventually played out for Kolo Touré. The defender’s cross into the box saw Drogba running past a flat-footed defense, heading the ball far post past Júlio César for the goal.

Elano added the final goal against North Korea, and the Brazilian midfielder may be playing a similar role against Cote d’Ivoire, redirecting him an easy finish in the 62nd minute to make it 3-0.

It was a goal created by Kaká who, near the by line and to the left of the Cote d’Ivoire goal, rolled a ball through the box to seven yards from goal for Elano, who ran to the middle of the area for an easy finish to Boubacar Barry’s left.

Cote d’Ivoire had brought Lille starlet Gervinho on at halftime with the hopes of pulling back Luis Fabiano’s first half opener, but the Brazil striker added a second early in the second half to put Brazil comfortably ahead, 2-0.

The goal was a controversial one, though, as a suspected hand ball helped Fabiano shake center backs Didier Zokora and Kolo Touré before the Sevilla-man put another hard shot past Boubacar Barry. The skill Fabiano showed on the ball may have distracted from the handball; regardless, Brazil leads 2-0.

Brazil has cruised through the first half over their match against Cote d’Ivoire, getting a Luis Fabiano goal in the 25h minute to lead 1-0 after 45 minutes.

Brazil has dominated possession while restricting Cote d’Ivoire to one shot on goal. But indicative of play in the first half, Brazil also only had one shot on goal.

Luis Fabiano has given Brazil a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute in their match against Cote d’Ivoire.

Fabiano beat Ivorian goalkeeper Boubacar Barry high and to his near post, putting the ball into the top of the next from eight yards out, after Kaká had put the striker beyond the Cote d’Ivoire defense.

It this tournament has a protagonist, it’s Didier Drogba, and with his appearance in today’s starting lineup for Cote d’Ivoire, perhaps they story’s first act has finally begun.

Today’s starting lineups:

I suppose we’re just going to have to find another reason to watch. Upon reflection, I can only come up with ... Kaká. Kalou. Robinho. Gervinho. Maicon. Touré. César.

The other Touré.