POWERHOUSE Brazil came to Myanmar to raise funds for the victims of Cyclone Nargis in two charity football matches at the Thuwanna Stadium in Yangon on October 26 and at Aung San Stadium on October 28.

The home side comprised former Myanmar national team members mixed with current players.

They faced the Brazilian Associacião Missão Esperanca (AME), comprising 19 players, including Paulo Sergio S do Nascimento of the 1994 World Cup-winning Brazilian team and another five Brazilian ex-national players.

“How would you feel if you had lost family members in this natural disaster? We have arrived here to give hope to the survivors from Cyclone Nargis as much as we can,’’ said Brazilian manager Marcos Grava at a press conference after arrival in Yangon.

In preparation for these charity matches, the AME team had been camped for about 20 days, coach Ricardo Ximenes told the The Myanmar Times.

A total of 25 players in the Myanmar team of former national players from the 1990s, including players like Myo Hlaing Win, Than Toe Aung, Aung Kyaw Kyaw and Kyi Lwin, alongside current national players like Soe Myat Min and Myo Min Tun were, under training for about 10 days over a five-week period in preparation for the charity matches.

“It is not easy to invite a Brazilian national player to Myanmar. But now, even a squad of Brazil footballers could be successfully invited to play matches here. I am so glad for that and I thank the AME team, for they have to take about 24 hours to come here and it reveals they have a strong desire to help the people suffering from Nargis,” said U Zaw Zaw, the chairman of Myanmar Football Federation.

In the first match at Thuwanna Stadium, Myanmar team’s lacklustre performance allowed AME to dominate the whole match.

As Brazilians were stronger than the domestic footballers, and dazzled with their skilful and systematic play, the Myanmar side failed to mount an effective attack. In the first half, Silvio scored the first goal in the 10th minute – but the second, at 17 minutes, was due to an own goal committed by Myanmar midfielder Lwin Oo.

The second half was also a one-sided match for the Brazilians, with Celso Costa da Silva adding the third in the 69th minute. Paulo Cruz found the back of the net at 85 minutes for a visitors’ victory of 4-0.

“The Brazilians did not make a consistent effort throughout the match, but they did elevate it with their Brazilian style of play,” said Myo Hlaing Win, the striker of Myanmar team after the match.

But the Myanmar side, reinforced with more current players, then restored its reputation, holding the visitors to a 1-1 standoff in the second match in Aung San Stadium.

As in the first game, the Brazilians dominated most of the first half, taking the lead with a goal by captain Paulo Sergio at 33 minutes. But in the second half, Myanmar fought back.

Taking advantage of the Brazilians’ evident fatigue, and pouring five young national players in as substitutes, Myanmar equalised in the 66th minute with a shot by striker Zaw Htike off a feed from Soe Myat Min, who received the ball from the left winger Myo Min Htun.

The Myanmar goal was the fruit of a series of chances created by strong attacking play, including a constant threat from the deft solo probing of Myo Min Htun.

After the match manager Marcos Brava said his players were tired from touring the storm-hit delta area, where they entertained the local population with a demonstration match.

“My players were pretty tired from the trip, and didn’t get enough time to recover. So in the second match, especially in the second half, my side could not play as well as we did in the first match and we allowed some chances for Myanmar players,” he said.

Brazilian captain Paulo Sergio expressed his feelings at playing friendly matches against Myanmar after the second match.

“It is a pleasure for all of us to play such an exciting game here in Myanmar and we are pleased with the welcome we received from Myanmar fans, who gave us a warm reception,” he said.

The Brazilians came to Myanmar after playing a friendly in Thailand. After leaving Myanmar they are off to Vietnam and Malaysia.