The Dani Alves Free Kick

In the past I’ve railed against Alves for his inability to hit the target when he takes free kicks for his club team, Barcelona. But he makes no mistake against South Africa in the Confederation Cup semifinals. After coming on just a few minutes before this, Alves steps up and puts Brazil in the finals to face, yes, the United States. The South African goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune really had no chance.

It seems like the South Africans setup their wall poorly though, as Alves is taking the kick with his right foot, he had a nearly a straight shot to the far right corner.

Alves rips the ball into the far corner and then proceeds to pull up his shirt, where he has a tattoo across his chest. Many have said the tattoo reads, ‘Daniel F’, perhaps his son’s name. Either way, it was a quality free kick and a smart substitution by Dunga.