CNN
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Brazil Dancing its way across Korea into World Cup Quarterfinals A dazzling 4-1 sweep at the Qatar 2022 Olympics on Monday.
It was Brazil’s real statement of intent as Tite’s side showed why it was considered the favorite to lift the Championship trophy.
Four first-half goals from Vinicius Jr., Neymar Jr., Richarlison and Lucas Paqueta ended the game shortly after the start, with South Korea’s chaotic defense and brilliant Brazil The team’s attack combined to result in the most one-sided game of this World Cup so far.
No matter how porous South Korea’s defense, the opening 45 minutes were a true footballing spectacle, embodying everything that Brazil has feared and admired at the World Cup for years.
It included some just-right choreographed dancing, with Brazil celebrating its four goals in style, even convincing manager Tite to join Richarlison in a “pigeon dance” for a third.
The second half was little more than a parade for Brazil as their players put off the gas and started conserving energy for Friday’s tough test against Croatia.
In the 15th minute, Seung-Ho Paik scored a goal for South Korea, his long-range shot blocked Thiago Silva’s effort to put South Korea past Alisson into the far corner.
With recent news, football is great skin After Sao Paulo was taken to hospital, Brazil’s players celebrated the victory, unfurling a banner in tribute to the three-time World Cup winner.
Brazil enter the tournament as favorites but have so far failed to achieve that.
Iteration of Tite choose has always been known for its pragmatism play bonito The style of football shown by some of the great Brazilian teams.
However, even by his pragmatic standards, the team’s three group games were dull, with only brief flashes – mainly in the closing stages of the 2-0 win over Serbia – which we have grown accustomed to being associated with Brazil over the years. talent.
But this pragmatism makes this defense very stingy. Brazil hadn’t had a shot on target in Qatar before Tite made nine substitutions in their third group game against Cameroon.
Brazil also got a huge boost ahead of their game against South Korea with news that Neymar is back fit for the first time since suffering a sprained ankle in their opener against Serbia.
If the Brazilian player does need some extra motivation for whatever reason, the news that Pele will be transferred to this game from the Sao Paulo hospital where he is currently receiving treatment will certainly provide that.
Meanwhile, South Korea impressively advanced to the round of 16 in a tough group that included Portugal, Ghana and Uruguay.
But Brazil got off to a serious start in this game, barely letting the South Korean touch the ball in the opening five minutes.
That early dominance paid off after just seven minutes, as Raphinha’s nifty footwork started Brazil’s fluid movement, with Vinicius Jr.’s spot-on finish at the far post as he delivered the ball perfectly four South Korean players.
South Korea’s poor start quickly turned into a nightmare when Woo-Young Jung’s swing was mistimed and instead he kicked Richarlison in the penalty area. It was soft, of course, but referee Clement Turpin had enough contact to award a penalty.
Neymar, returning from injury, made no mistakes, stepped forward casually, and passed the ball to the left of the goalkeeper.
This goal is Neymar’s 76th goal in the national team, and he is only one step away from tying Pele as the top scorer in Brazil’s history. Through the goal, Neymar also became the third Brazilian player in history to score goals in three different World Cups after Pele and Ronaldo.
Hee-Chan Hwang did force Alisson into a brilliant one-handed save shortly after the penalty, but that was the closest South Korea came to goal in the first half.
In fact, Turpin did a better job defending the Brazilian than any South Korean player – the French referee once inadvertently blocked Neymar’s path, forcing the PSG striker to turn and look for a team-mate.
The result is beyond doubt and it’s party time in Brazil. Two more goals came before half-time, both of which showed the best of Brazilian football.
First, Richarlison started with the ball to his forehead, then rounded a South Korean defender, exchanged passes with Thiago Silva and Marquinhos, before passing the ball to Kim Seung Gyu.
The second came after a counter-attack from Brazil, with Vinicius flicking the ball to the far post for a volley from a rushing Paqueta.
The match was long over as a game, but now it has the potential to turn into a night of shame for South Korea, if it hasn’t already.
It was without a doubt the best and most dominant half of any team at this World Cup so far, as Brazil finally declared themselves the main contenders to lift the trophy in Qatar.
If there was one positive for South Korea at half-time, it was that the score was 4-0 instead of seven or eight, but the second half was just a damage-limiting exercise.
Both teams had chances to increase the score, but the goalkeeper was in the lead for most of the second period until Nam June Paik’s half-time volley finally beat Alisson in the 75th minute, thanks to Yu Silva’s deflection.
That would have been the last meaningful action of a game that, in fact, has been over since the 30-minute mark.
Brazil and Tite in particular will be delighted with the manner of the win and the performance of star Neymar, who came out unscathed in the first game.