Brazil hit prime gear with Neymar again within the line-up to brush apart South Korea 4-1 on Monday and ease into the quarterfinals of the World Cup the place they’ll face Croatia.
Brazil’s Vinicius Junior (2ndl) celebrates scoring his staff’s first objective with Raphinha, Lucas Paqueta and Neymar through the Qatar 2022 World Cup spherical of 16 soccer match between Brazil and South Korea at Stadium 974 in Doha on 5 December 2022. Picture: MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP
DOHA – Brazil hit prime gear with Neymar again within the line-up to brush apart South Korea 4-1 on Monday and ease into the quarterfinals of the World Cup the place they’ll face Croatia.
Neymar had been sidelined for 2 matches with a sprained ankle however with the world’s most costly participant restored to their facet, Brazil’s yellow shirts poured ahead at Stadium 974.
Vinicius Junior opened the scoring inside seven minutes earlier than Neymar added one other from the penalty spot to transfer to 76 objectives for his nation, leaving him only one away from equalling Pele’s all-time file tally.
The ailing Pele watched from his hospital mattress in Sao Paulo the place the 82-year-old was admitted final Tuesday amid ongoing therapy for colon most cancers.
He can have loved Richarlison’s dazzling objective to make it 3-0 earlier than Lucas Paqueta added one other earlier than half-time, all celebrated with dance routines as Brazil’s supporters roared their approval.
Paik Seung-ho pulled a objective again for the Koreans when the Brazilians took their foot off the pedal, however their ideas had already turned to Friday’s quarterfinal conflict with 2018 runners-up Croatia.
It was the primary time that Brazil had scored 4 objectives in a World Cup knockout sport since 1998 and the efficiency rapped out a warning to their rivals that they’ve a sixth title of their sights.
“We are dreaming of winning the title, that’s obvious, but we have to go step by step,” Neymar mentioned.
He admitted he had feared at one level that he wouldn’t play once more within the match after injuring his ankle in Brazil’s opening sport against Serbia.
“When I got injured I spent a very difficult night. I was thinking of a million different things.”
LIVAKOVIC CROATIA’S HERO
Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic was the hero for Croatia within the day’s different last-16 tie, saving three penalties within the shootout as his facet beat Japan to attain the final eight.
Japan had already overwhelmed European heavyweights Germany and Spain in Qatar and so they seemed on observe to take down 2018 runners-up Croatia when Daizen Maeda put them forward simply earlier than half-time.
But Ivan Perisic introduced Croatia stage within the fifty fifth minute with a powerful header from Dejan Lovren’s cross and a hard-fought match grew to become the primary of this World Cup to go into additional time.
When neither facet may break the impasse, the tie additionally produced the primary penalty shootout of Qatar 2022.
It continued a exceptional sample – seven of Croatia’s previous eight knockout video games at main tournaments have gone to additional time, the one exception being their defeat within the remaining by France in Russia 4 years in the past.
In nail-biting rigidity, Livakovic saved the primary Japan two spot-kicks earlier than stopping Maya Yoshida’s effort, then Mario Pasalic struck the profitable penalty to ship Croatia via.
Livakovic, the hero of the hour, mentioned: “I don’t think they were difficult penalties to save, they weren’t perfect penalties, and thank God for that.”
Croatia captain Luka Modric mentioned: “It seems that we can’t do it without a drama.
“We are very happy to attain the quarterfinals. It was a really tough sport against a really powerful staff.”
Japan forward Ritsu Doan gave a frank assessment of his country’s performance: “No matter how effectively we fought right now, we did not change historical past.”
Three-quarters of the quarterfinal line-up is now set, with Argentina going through the Netherlands on Friday, the identical day Brazil play Croatia.
England face the daunting prospect of taking up holders France on Saturday.
Spain shall be wanting to e-book their place within the final eight once they face a harmful Morocco facet on Tuesday, whereas Cristiano Ronaldo’s Spain play Switzerland.