Brazil has reached the quarterfinals for the eighth-straight World Cup
after a first-half goal blitz against opponents South Korea see the five-
time champions book a date with Croatia in the next round on the
back of a 4-1 win at Stadium 974 in Doha on a night where an entire
nation kept Pelé in their thoughts as he continues to battle serious
illness.
Billed as one of the main heavyweights in the run-up to the
tournament, Tite’s men produced arguably the best forty-five minutes
of football at the 2022 World Cup after one impressive goal gave way
to the next as the real Brazil looks ready to stand up and be counted.
A Seleçao started on the front foot while offering South Korea little
avenue to hit them on the break and put themselves in control of
proceedings in the 7th minute of action after Raphinha danced down
the right flank before receiving the ball back from Lucas Paquetá
before his squared ball across goal found its way to Vinícius Júnior
for the Real Madrid star to bend his effort past Kim Seung-Gyu into
the far corner.
It was the first time this tournament that Brazil found the back of the
net in the first half, with Brazil quickly doubling their advantage in
the 13th minute through star man Neymar who marked his return to
the starting XI with his 76th goal for his country, putting him just one
shy of Pelé’s long-standing goal record.
Hwang Hee-Chan then forced Alisson into a diving save just three
minutes later when his thunderous effort from range was just tipped
over by the Liverpool shot-stopper who did exceptionally well to keep
Brazil’s comfortable early lead intact.
Brazil would turn on the style when they tripled their lead in the 29th
minute with what surely would be the goal of the tournament after
Richarlison settled 30-yards from goal before finding Marquinhos
who laid off to Thiago Silva who then found Richarilson with a
weighted one-touch pass free in the box before slotting calmly past
the keeper.