SHENYANG, China (AP) - Striker Rafael Sobis and defender Marcelo scored a goal each in extra time Saturday to give Brazil a 2-0 win over 10-man Cameroon and a spot in the semifinals of the Olympic football tournament.
Despite playing a man up for most of the second half, Brazil failed to break the scoreless draw until Sobis fired a right-footed shot from inside the area in the 101st minute. Marcelo then sealed the victory with a goal from near the penalty spot in the 105th.
Cameroon went a man down after forward Albert Baning received his second yellow card on a foul in midfield in the 52nd.
Brazil, trying to win their first Olympic gold medal in football, hadn't reached the semifinals since the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Saturday's encounter was a rematch of the quarterfinals of the 2000 Sydney Games, when the Africans eliminated Brazil in extra time en route to their first and only Olympic title. Ronaldinho, Brazil's top player this year, also was a member of that Brazilian squad.
Brazil controlled the pace of the match in front of the more than 41,000 fans at Shenyang Olympic Stadium, but were not able to get past the tight defensive scheme set up by the Africans.
'We knew it was going to be a tough match,' Brazil coach Dunga said. 'They were marking hard, trying to rely on breakaways, but at the end our players were able to adjust well.'
Sobis, who got to start in place of AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato, took advantage of a well-played through ball by midfielder Diego to run past a defender and send his shot past goalkeeper Armour Tignyemb. Marcelo's goal came four minutes later, when he found the net with his right foot after a cross by midfielder Thiago Neves.
'Rafael had been practicing well, and we knew we were going to need someone with speed up front,' Dunga said. 'Rafael is used to this type of game. He played well today.'
Brazil's biggest threat in the first half came with a free kick taken by Ronaldinho in the sixth, while the Africans' lone chance was a long-range shot by Gustave Bebbe in the 13th.
Brazil began playing better only after Baning was sent off. Both teams committed several hard fouls throughout the match, and a total of 12 yellow cards were awarded, five for Brazil and seven for Cameroon.
In extra time, Cameroon took advantage of a counterattack to threaten in the 95th, but Bebbe's shot from outside the area missed over the crossbar with goalkeeper Renan off the line.
While Brazil was at full strength, Cameroon coach Martin Ndtoungou could not count on midfielder Georges Mandjeck and defender Paul Bebey because of suspensions. To make things worse, the Africans also lost regular starter Stephane Mbia due to injury in the 17th.
'Our boys played well,' Ndtoungou said through a translator. 'We had one player injured and one red-carded, but we still took Brazil to extra time. That's not so bad.'
The Olympic tournament is the only significant title Brazil has never won in football. The Brazilians won the silver medal twice, at the 1984 Los Angeles Games and the 1988 Seoul Games. It won bronze in Atlanta.
Cameroon clinched the 2000 Olympic title after edging Spain 5-3 in a penalty shootout in the final.
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