Video: Robinho takes on Italy ... and wins

When football’s creeping globalisation and money-lust creates nights such as this, all you can say is: bring it on. The first meeting since 1997 between these nations with nine World Cup wins between them was a marvellous match, a fabulous spectacle and a 2-0 Brazil win. It was also a friendly with a concrete consequence because Brazil’s self-styled “World Tour” has denied Marcello Lippi a world record.

Had Italy avoided defeat last night, their coach would have made it 32 matches unbeaten over his two spells in charge. But, just as the Holloway Road and the Piazza San Marco do not look much alike, Italy hardly resembled the effective unit that won the 2006 World Cup. Azzurri? As if. They defended atypically poorly while their opponents produced football that conformed to glorious stereotype. “At the moment, Brazil are stronger than us. They won the ‘derby of the world’ — but only for now,” Lippi said.

Listen carefully to the samba rhythms and you can hear another sound in the background: ker-ching. A Swiss marketing agency, an Arabian television channel and a Russian investment company own the rights to Brazil friendlies and they love London, even though Dunga, the coach, said that he would rather be in São Paulo than southeast England.

The English capital offers a convenient location, excellent facilities, a cosmopolitan population and enthusiastic locals willing to pay high ticket prices to see stardust on their doorstep. This sell-out was Brazil’s fourth match at the Emirates since it opened in 2006 — they also faced Argentina, Sweden and Portugal here, not forgetting the friendly with England in 2007 to mark the opening of the new Wembley and a game against Wales at White Hart Lane the previous year.

In recent years, Dunga’s side have met the likes of Venezuela in Boston, Algeria in Montpellier, Turkey in Dortmund and Canada in Seattle as they rack up air miles like football’s equivalent of the Harlem Globetrotters.

Brazil’s large number of Europe-based players advances the argument for London, although six of their starting line-up last night ply their trade in Serie A. On the evidence of the first half, it was the Italians who were homesick. The Emirates felt more like Rio-on-Thames than Little Italy.

Brazil were without the injured Kaká but Ronaldinho was recalled after a spell in the shadows and Adriano amply filled the role of chunky striker left vacant since the decline of Ronaldo. Dunga has been pilloried in Brazil for the supposed caution of his tactics but if an England manager could inspire his team to play like this, there would be a dozen statues in his honour lining Wembley Way.

After Howard Webb, the referee, wrongly ruled out an Italy effort for offside, Ronaldinho, Elano and Robinho combined for the opener after 15 minutes, Elano finishing with an aplomb rarely seen from him in Manchester City’s colours once winter sets in. Then Robinho robbed the dawdling Andrea Pirlo, baffled three opponents and finished low inside Gianluigi Buffon’s far post with his left foot.

It was Gilberto Silva’s first return to London since he left Arsenal in the summer for Panathinaikos. Used sparingly by Arsenal last season, it was tempting to wonder if his robustness might have been useful to the Londoners’ porous midfield this season.

“I don’t know if they’re missing a player like me, but the young players need a lot of support,” he said. “They need time and this is the problem, when you are in a big club you don’t have much time.”

There were no further goals in the second half, but the number of violent fouls committed by the Italians as their hopes drifted away indicated that the result mattered. As Brazil wound down the clock, a Tannoy announcement brought the biggest jeer of the evening: severe delays on the Tube. Well, this was London.