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Leighton James
Former Wales winger on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One Wales

They would have been proud of that in a rugby match!

That just shows that Brazil don’t always try to play it nice and neat. They are quite prepared to clear the ball.

I think that’s why Wales have been getting into trouble at the back, trying to play too many little balls and not defending the British way.

Another really enterprising piece of play by Mark Pembridge wins Wales a corner.

No wonder boss Terry Yorath tipped him to win 50 caps earlier this week.

Image source, Getty Images

Joao Paulo sounds like Sao Paulo and, pleasingly, the Brazil forward is from Sao Paulo.

Well, Sao Paulo State at least, the municipality of Campinas to be precise.

Alas, there is always at least one fall guy in these classic Wales matches and, sadly for Joao Paulo, he was another on this occasion.

This was his 17th appearance for Brazil and it proved to be his last.

We are back under way for the second half. Hopefully we see an improvement on the first 45 minutes.

That's half-time and it's hard to say either side has dominated that first period. It's very much a friendly, friendly!

Image source, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Sport

A chance for Wales just before the break as a sloppy piece of Brazilian defending is seized upon by Wales' star performer in the first half, Gary Speed, who effort from the edge of the box was saved by Claudio Taffarel.

The Welshman will have enjoyed his 22nd birthday this weekend after Leeds' thumping 3-0 win over Manchester City.

Leighton James
Former Wales winger on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One Wales

I’ve been very disappointed with the game as a whole. It’s been very downbeat.

It’s just been a typical friendly match with nobody showing any great desire to go forward and score a goal.

Mark Hughes tries to find Dean Saunders with a pinpoint pass, but the ball slips away from Saunders, who, it must be said, has not really had much going for him in the first half. He looks like he's missing Ian Rush and more pertinently, Hughes in behind to supply the chances.

Image source, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Sport

Brazil’s Moacir may well wince after that miss a couple of minutes ago. With the benefit of hindsight, it proved costly.

This was only a sixth cap for the then-21-year-old Atletico Mineiro player, and it would prove to be his last as well.

Every one of these classic Wales matches seems to have marked the end of one opposition player’s international career, and Moacir is keeping that curse going.

Oh dear, the sequel.

That's the best chance of the game for Brazil as Joao Paulo latches onto a through ball and easily twists away from Kevin Ratcliffe, but his left-footed effort goes so far wide it doesn't even end up as a goal-kick but a throw-in, somewhere near Narnia.

Oh dear. Geovani again plays a nice pass and Moacir's first touch is sublime as he glides into the penalty area and away from the defender.

However, his second touch, the shot, is horrific and Wales get away with it as he slashes miles wide.

A nice run there from Geovani who is scythed down by Colin Pascoe.

Bebeto measures the freekick, but he curls it over Neville Southall's crossbar.

The Everton goalkeeper has had very little to do.

First corner of the match for Brazil after some neat play by Jorginho, who you would never know is playing out of position at left back, so comfortable does he seem using either foot.

Brazil opt to go short, but Colin Pascoe snuffs out the danger.

Image source, Getty Images

The late, great Gary Speed was a giant of Welsh football.

Before he managed his country, Speed enjoyed a stellar playing career in which he racked up 85 caps for Wales.

Many will remember him as a midfield general who slotted in seamlessly at left-back later in his career but, on this occasion, he caught the eye as a silky left winger.

At times it’s like watching a young Ryan Giggs as Speed, only just turned 22, glides past his Brazilian opponents.

This was also a period of great success for Speed at club level, as he would go on to play in 41 of Leeds’ 42 league matches as they won the First Division title, in its final season before it became the Premier League.

That's a clever corner routine for Wales and it so nearly brings them the opener as Mark Aizlewood flicks-on Gary Speed's corner, but Cafu just beat Mark Hughes to the ball at the far post.

That's a great moment for the debutant as Luton midfielder Mark Pembridge wins a corner with his sheer tenacity.

Geovani who has just shot very wide of goal, is a former player of the year in Brazil and is currently playing his club football for Karlsruher SC after a couple of seasons with Bologna.

In all of these recap live pages we have highlighted opposition players who never again represented their country.

This was the last of Geovani's 23 caps for his country.

A helpful ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ graphic has just flashed up "the possession minutes" and it is 13 to Brazil, 10 to Wales, even though it will be several years before anyone thinks to put a clock on the screen to time the match.

Surely "possession minutes" will never go out of style as a function for telling the story of a football match?

Image source, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Sport

It's taken 22 minutes, but there we have our first stonewall entry into the book of "challenges made by Mark Hughes that would definitely be at least a yellow card in 2020".

Hughes is in great form, mind, having starred in Manchester United's Cup Winners' Cup final win over Barcelona, scoring both goals, Hughes has helped United to an unbeaten start in the First Division.

Most people think either Hughes or Gary Speed will win the league this season.