CNN
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Brazil danced its well past South Korea and into the World Cup quarterfinals on Monday, sweeping apart its opponent 4-1 in a blinding efficiency at Qatar 2022.
This was an actual assertion of intent from Brazil, as Tite’s facet confirmed why it was thought of the favourite to elevate the trophy coming into the event.
4 first-half targets from Vinicius Jr., Neymar Jr. , Richarlison and Lucas Paqueta ended this match as a contest quickly after it had begun, with a mix of shambolic Korean defending and good Brazilian attacking play resulting in essentially the most one-sided sport of this World Cup to this point.
Nonetheless porous the Korean protection was, the opening 45 minutes have been actually a soccer spectacle and encapsulated every thing that has made Brazil each feared and admired on the World Cup over time.
That included some perfectly-timed choreographed dancing as Brazil celebrated every of its 4 targets in fashion, even convincing head coach Tite to hitch in with Richarlison’s ‘pigeon dance’ for the third objective.
The second half was little greater than a procession for Brazil, as its gamers took their foot off the gasoline and started conserving their vitality for the a lot sterner check towards Croatia that lies forward on Friday.
Seung-Ho Paik grabbed a comfort objective for Korea quarter-hour from time as his long-range strike took a deflection off Thiago Silva that helped it previous Alisson into the far nook.
With the current information that soccer nice Pelé had been admitted to hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s gamers celebrated the win at full time with a banner paying tribute to the three-time World Cup winner.
Brazil got here into this event as the favourite to elevate the trophy, however had to this point did not stay as much as that tag.
Tite’s iteration of the Seleçao has all the time been recognized for its pragmatism as a substitute of the Joga Bonito fashion of soccer displayed by a number of the nice Brazil groups of previous.
Even by his pragmatic requirements, nonetheless, the workforce’s three group video games have been stodgy affairs, with solely temporary flashes – primarily within the closing levels of the 2-0 win over Serbia – of the aptitude we now have grow to be accustomed to associating with Brazil over time.
However that pragmatism has made this protection remarkably stingy; earlier than Tite had made 9 adjustments for the third group sport towards Cameroon, Brazil had not confronted a single shot on course in Qatar.
Brazil was additionally given an enormous increase forward of its match towards South Korea with the information that Neymar was match to play for the primary time since struggling an ankle sprain in that opening sport towards Serbia.
If Brazil’s gamers for no matter motive did want some added motivation, information that Pelé can be tuning into this sport from the hospital in Sao Paulo the place he’s presently receiving remedy would have definitely supplied that.
South Korea, in the meantime, has impressed in reaching the spherical of 16, coming by a troublesome group that included Portugal, Ghana and Uruguay.
However Brazil began this sport prefer it meant enterprise, barely permitting the Koreans a contact of the ball contained in the opening 5 minutes.
That early dominance paid off after simply seven minutes due to some stunning footwork from Raphinha that began a flowing Brazil transfer, which was completed off with unerring accuracy on the far submit by Vinicius Jr., who positioned the ball completely previous 4 Korean gamers.
Korea’s poor begin shortly become a nightmare, as Woo-Younger Jung mistimed his swing for the ball and as a substitute caught Richarlison on the foot contained in the penalty space. It was definitely tender, however there was sufficient contact for referee Clement Turpin to award the penalty.
Neymar, on his return from harm, made no mistake, nonchalantly strolling up and putting the ball to the goalkeeper’s left.
The objective was Neymar’s 76th for the nationwide workforce, only one strike away from equaling Pelé as Brazil’s all-time prime goalscorer. By scoring Neymar additionally turned simply the third Brazilian participant in historical past after Pelé and Ronaldo to attain at three totally different World Cups.
Hee-Chan Hwang did pressure Alisson into an exquisite one-handed save quickly after the penalty, however that was the closest South Korea got here to scoring within the first half.
In actual fact, Turpin did a greater job of defending Brazil’s gamers than any South Korean – at one level the French referee inadvertently blocked off Neymar’s path and compelled the Paris Saint-Germain ahead to about flip and discover a teammate.
With the outcome already past doubt, it was now social gathering time for Brazil. There have been two extra targets earlier than half time and each of those showcased the easiest of Brazilian soccer.
For the primary, Richarlison started enjoying keepy-uppies with the ball on his brow, earlier than flicking it spherical a Korean defender, exchanging passes with Thiago Silva and Marquinhos and slotting the ball previous Kim Seung Gyu.
The second got here after a flowing Brazil counterattack as Vinicius stood the ball as much as the far submit for the onrushing Paqueta to volley residence.
This sport was already lengthy over as a contest, but it surely was now in peril of turning right into a humiliating evening for South Korea, if it hadn’t already.
It was doubtless the most effective and most dominant half of soccer any workforce has put collectively to this point at this World Cup, as Brazil lastly introduced itself because the main contender to elevate the trophy in Qatar.
If there was one constructive for South Korea on the interval it was that the rating was solely 4-0 as a substitute of seven or eight, however the second half would merely be an train in injury limitation.
Each groups had probabilities so as to add to the scoreline however the goalkeepers got here out on prime for a lot of the second interval, till Paik’s crisp half-volley on 75 minutes lastly beating Alisson due to a deflection off Silva.
That was to be the final significant motion of a match that, in reality, had been over for the reason that 30-minute mark.
Brazil and Tite specifically shall be delighted with the way of the victory and with the efficiency of star man Neymar, who seemed sharp as he got here by his first match again unscathed.
