Late substitute Maicon scored twice as Brazil beat Germany 2-1 in extra-time Saturday to reach the semifinals of the Under-20 World Cup. Brazil, the only remaining team with a previous tournament win, now faces Costa Rica, which beat the United Arab Emirates 2-1 in extra time in the day's second match. Ghana plays Hungary in Tuesday's other semifinal, ahead of the third-place match and U-20 final Friday. Brazil, which easily overcame other opponents, struggled against the defensive Germans who took a late lead with Lewis Holtby in the 73rd minute. Maicon came on in the 77th to turn the game – scoring with just two minutes remaining. He exploited a gap in the German defense to beat Manchester United reserve goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler. Maicon got his second in the first minute of extra time, again getting the better of Zieler with an expert lob, as German defenders were caught in a mix up. “This is like a dream, but I don't consider myself the savior of the team. The whole team won,” Maicon said. German coach Horst Hrubesch said he was happy with his players' performance despite the disappointing result. “We had been controlling the game up until the (Brazilian) goal,” he said. “But we made a mistake and it cost us the match ... But as a team, the players progressed very well and we enjoyed a great atmosphere here.” Supporters returned to Cairo International Stadium Saturday to watch the Brazilians and cheer on the Emiratis, following a lull in attendance after host Egypt was knocked out by Costa Rica in the round of 16. But Costa Rica again disappointed the local fans, after Marcos Urena scored a last-gasp goal in extra time beat the UAE. Ahmed Ali had put the UAE ahead in the 32nd minute, driving in a cross from Ahmed Khalil. But a header from Josue Martinez leveled it five minutes later. The Emiratis had most of the chances, despite missing influential midfielder Theyab Awana through suspension. But the Central Americans steadily added pressure with their fast counterattacks. Brazil has won the U20 tournament four times. Six-time winner Argentina did not qualify.
