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.

DOHA – Japan shocked Germany 2-1 in their World Cup opener on Wednesday, punishing the four-time champions for not taking their probabilities after they dominated the primary half.

The German staff lined their mouths for the staff picture earlier than the match in a strong protest in opposition to FIFA’s determination to ban rainbow-themed armbands.

Germany got here to Qatar underneath big strain to keep away from the catastrophe of 2018, after they did not make it out of the group stage in Russia as World Cup holders.

Hansi Flick’s facet took the lead by a first-half penalty from Ilkay Gundogan and will have been out of sight after creating a number of probabilities.

But Japan held on and equalised by substitute Ritsu Doan in the seventy fifth minute.

Takuma Asano then accomplished a outstanding turnaround eight minutes later, smashing the ball dwelling to ship the Japanese bench and their boisterous followers wild.

To add to the storyline, each Doan and Asano play in the German Bundesliga.

“The players came together as one team, we prepared well and we stuck in there, and that’s what led to the win,” stated Japan supervisor Hajime Moriyasu.

“Lots of our fans have come to Doha and they were behind us pushing us on. I want us to keep a level head after this and look at what we could have done better and look to win the next match.”

Germany’s World Cup future is now as soon as once more on the road, with video games to return in Group E in opposition to Spain and Costa Rica.

“We made it too easy for Japan. I don’t know if an easier goal has ever been scored at a World Cup,” Gundogan instructed Germany’s ARD TV community.

“This must not happen to us.”

Thomas Mueller instructed Germany’s Magenta TV it was “ludicrous that we are now standing here with a defeat.”

Japan in the meantime are eyeing a spot in the knockout spherical after a dramatic comeback that scarcely seemed doable at half-time.

The Blue Samurai made a constructive begin, with Daizen Maeda placing the ball in the online as early because the eighth minute just for the linesman to flag for offside.

GERMAN CHANCES

But it was to show a false daybreak for Japan as Antonio Ruediger headed previous the put up from a nook, earlier than Joshua Kimmich examined goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda, with Gundogan blasting the rebound over the bar.

Gundogan peppered the Japan purpose with photographs, with Gonda conserving him out earlier than Maya Yoshida threw his physique in the best way of one other effort.

Gundogan put the Germans forward after they had been awarded a penalty when Gonda tripped David Raum, coolly slotting his kick down the center.

Jamal Musiala give a glimpse of his immense expertise when he turned and flashed a shot over the bar on the stroke of half-time.

Kai Havertz had the ball in the online earlier than the interval, just for VAR to rule the purpose out for offside.

Musiala returned to torment Japan after the break, skipping by the defence earlier than blazing over.

The 19-year-old then turned supplier, laying the ball off for Gundogan to lash in opposition to the put up.

Japan introduced on livewire forwards Asano and Kaoru Mitoma to attempt to inject some power into the four-times Asian champions.

But Germany stored up their strain and solely a string of last-ditch saves from Gonda prevented Japan from falling additional behind.

Hiroki Sakai had a golden probability to equalise however blazed wildly over the bar after Manuel Neuer had parried the ball into his path.

Doan confirmed him the way it was achieved simply minutes later, changing after Neuer had palmed away Takumi Minamino’s effort.

Asano then put the Japanese followers in dreamland, racing away earlier than lashing dwelling a shot that Neuer was powerless to cease.

Germany threw everybody ahead in a determined seek for an equaliser but it surely was too little, too late.

“It wasn’t just the players who started the game but also the substitutes who came on and helped us close it out,” stated Moriyasu.

“We were able to show our strength. The players did what they needed to get the win.”