Brazil's poor show disappoints fans

Rio De Janeiro (Brazil): Frustrated soccer fans expected more than just wins from Brazil at the World Cup.

In two wins, the five-time champions haven't shown the spark, samba and magic that made them the world's No 1 team.

Brazil's 2-0 victory over Australia on Sunday guaranteed the team a berth in the final 16, but the sports media said the team's play was sub-par in a game that seemed to be a classic mismatch.

After a scoreless first half, Inter Milan striker Adriano unloaded a left-footed strike into the corner at the 49-minute mark.

Reserve striker Fred tapped in a rebound in the final minute.

Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said the important thing was a second-round berth and that Brazil would need time to hit its stride in the Cup.

But it was Brazil's second unconvincing win, after a narrow 1-0 victory over Croatia in the opener, and fans are getting restless.

"A berth with suffering," read the headline in the Rio de Janeiro daily O Globo.

"Optical illusion," said Folha de S Paulo, saying Parreira couldn't afford to overlook the team's problems.

The team's "magic quartet" of Kaka, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Adriano seemed anything but wizardly against Australia, which hadn't qualified for the World Cup since 1974.

Three-time FIFA Player of the Year Ronaldo still looked overweight and immobile, competing with Adriano for the same space on the field.

"A square quartet," O Globo said.

FIFA's choice of defensive midfielder Ze Roberto as the game's outstanding player showed the shortcomings of the offense, the sporting daily Lance said.

The defence also looked suspect. Goalie Dida raced off his line unexpectedly when Australia attacked and left the net unguarded, but the Aussies didn't have the luck or the cool to capitalise on their chances.

While Brazil is unbeaten and hasn't allowed a goal in the Cup, its attack hasn't clicked, two-time FIFA Player of the Year Ronaldinho is scoreless and the offence is the worst since 1990.

"Brazil again let its rival trade too many passes in the midfield," wrote commentator Tostao, a star of Brazil's 1970 World Cup champions in Mexico. "They played barely well enough."

Tostao praised the play of Real Madrid's Robinho, who replaced Ronaldo in the second half and gave new life to the attack.

The quicksilver striker fired a shot off the post that bounced to Fred for the second goal.

"I wrote before the Cup that if Brazil wins the title, it will be with a brilliant showing," Tostao said. "That hasn't happened yet, but there's still time."

Brazil's last first-round game is against Japan on Thursday.