South Americans confirm last-eight date with 2018 runners-up Croatia
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Brazil stunned Korea Republic with four goals in 29 first-half minutes
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Fit-again Neymar converts penalty for scoring return
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Coach Tite’s team poised for Croatia quarter-final on Friday
Brazil 4-1 Korea Republic
Goals | Brazil: Vinícius Júnior (7), Neymar (13 pen), Richarlison (29), Lucas Paquetá (36)
Korea Republic: Paik Seungho (76)Match review
Brazil conjured a dazzling performance to sweep aside Korea Republic and secure a FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ quarter-final tie with Croatia on Friday.The good news didn’t stop there for the rampant South Americans. Neymar defied expectations to return from injury and the inimitable Paris Saint-Germain forward was celebrating after only 13 minutes. Brazil were awarded a penalty after defender Jung Wooyoung was surprised by Richarlison’s sudden emergence on his shoulder and clipped the attacker’s ankle when attempting a clearance.
Neymar stuttered and shimmied in his run-up, completely deceiving Kim Seunggyu, who was static as the ball rolled past him on the left. Brazil were already one goal to the good at this point. Vinicius Jr controlled Raphinha’s right-wing cut back across the box, then with a barely perceptible backlift punched a strike beyond goalkeeper Kim and into the top corner.
Richarlison scored Brazil’s third following a glorious passage of play. The Tottenham Hotspur player initially employed a succession of headers to gain control of the ball, before transferring a pass to Marquinhos. He fired a ball across the perimeter of the box for Thiago Silva, who spied Richarlison continuing his run and zipped a wonderful first-time pass for his teammate to comfortably finish and claim a third goal of the tournament.
It was four goals inside 29 minutes when Lucas Paqueta arrived in the penalty area to meet Vinicius Junior’s cross from the byline on the full. The ball was past Kim before he could blink.
Kim made good saves from Richarlison and Raphinha, twice, to limit the bleeding, while opposite number Alisson wasn’t entirely unemployed. Far from it. Alisson flew to his left to tip round Hwang Heechan’s rising drive after 17 minutes and used his shoulder to deny Son Heungmin following the restart. Hwang was thwarted, once more, when Alisson flung out his right hand to repel a close-range blast.Substitute Paik Seungho eventually got the better of Alisson with a howitzer of a strike – but Brazil’s minds were already turning to Friday evening and Croatia at Education City Stadium.
Key moment
The more pessimistic reports were ruling Neymar out of this exhilarating World Cup, The ankle injury sustained in Brazil’s opening victory over Serbia would deprive coach Tite of his leading light, went the doom-mongers’ narrative.The noises from the Brazil camp around Neymar’s fitness remained defiantly positive. But was it hope or expectation underpinning the upbeat medical bulletins? When Neymar exuberantly celebrated his cheeky penalty conversion with his return only 13 minutes old, we had our answer.
Brazil, on all available evidence from a largely one-sided game, would have won this without Neymar. There is no question over the 30-year-old’s uplifting influence on his teammates, however, with a number of the younger squad members, Richarlison included, citing the player as their footballing idol.
The presence of Neymar allows Brazil to believe. Remember how all optimism drained away, with catastrophic consequences, when the poster-boy was injured in the quarter-final at Brazil 2014. The message seems to be that if you have to get hurt at a tournament, do it early. Neymar is back and, with 81 minutes in his legs, coming to the boil nicely ahead of tougher tests ahead.
Key state
Neymar is the third Brazilian to score in three or more FIFA World Cups after Pele (1958, 1962, 1966, 1970) and Ronaldo (1998, 2002, 2006)