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Jonathan Liew was at Stadium 974 to witness Brazil make it through to the last eight. Here’s his report. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!
Brazil celebrate, then Neymar brings out a huge banner in honour of Pelé, currently stricken in a São Paulo hospital. O Rei will have enjoyed the Seleção’s performance today. They were sensational in the first half, then eased their way through the second, energy conservation very much in mind. It was a slightly weird final score, though: South Korea’s utterly shambolic defence are very much flattered by the 4-1 scoreline, but their attack can feel a bit hard done by it. Hwang Hee-chan was a constant menace, Paik Seung-ho scored a screamer, and Alisson had to put in a proper performance, making three world-class stops. But Brazil were irrepressible when in full first-half flight, Richarlison’s goal in particular a mix of cheek, charm and beauty. They’re not perfect. But in this mood, they’ll take some stopping.
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FULL TIME: Brazil 4-1 South Korea
The tournament favourites will play Croatia in the quarter-finals on Friday!
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90 min +3: Dani Alves drags a long-distance shot wide left.
90 min +2: Richarlison goes off on a meander down the left to run the clock down.
90 min +1: The first of four added minutes flies by without incident.
90 min: Hwang Hee-chan has been impressive all night, and here he races along the inside-right channel, taking down a long pass with a feathery touch, before slamming a shot into the side netting.
89 min: Martinelli dribbles in from the left, then stands one up for Dani Alves at the far post. Alves volleys a bicycle kick goalwards, but it’s blocked bravely by Hong. Nothing comes of the resulting corner.
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87 min: One of the passes of the evening as Kim Young-gwon creams a diagonal pass towards Son Jun-ho on the left touchline. Son’s cross is no good, but what a lovely raking ball that was.
85 min: Kim Seung-gyu knocks a clearance straight at Rodrygo, and is very lucky that the Brazilian striker over-elaborates with Richarlison. The Brazilian pair should have combined to make it five.
83 min: Hwang Hee-chan slips a pass down the right channel for Lee Kang-in, who whistles a low cross through an unpopulated six-yard box.
81 min: That’s Cho’s last contribution tonight. He’s replaced by Hwang Ui-jo. It’s also the end of the evening for Alisson, who makes way for third-choice keeper Weverton. Tite making sure that everyone in the squad contributes at some point, a nice touch. He also replaces Neymar with Rodrygo.
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80 min: Kim Min-jae shovels a pass down the inside-right channel and releases Cho into the Brazil box! He’s one on one with Alisson, who turns his shot around the post. Then the flag goes up for offside anyway. Another goal there would have made things interesting.
78 min: As bad as South Korea have been defensively tonight, their attack has been in good nick. That consolation is no more than they deserve.
GOAL! Brazil 4-1 South Korea (Paik 76)
A free kick for South Korea out on the right. Everyone lines up on the edge of the box. The sub Lee swings it in. Brazil half clear. Paik takes a touch on the edge of the D and rifles a rising shot through the box and into the top-right corner. A slight deflection, and Alisson has no chance whatsoever!
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74 min: Lee Jae-sung is replaced by Lee Kang-in.
72 min: Brazil make a double change. Vinicius Junior and Danilo make way for Martinelli and Bremer. “I’m all for England doing a choreographed samba dance routine after scoring,” writes Stephen Mitchell. “Just imagine the likes of Harry Maguire, Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane, and Jordan Pickford having a go at it. Even better, imagine how well it would go down if they did their dance routine only to go on to lose to France! Would be great to get Graeme Souness’s opinion on it.”
70 min: South Korea could feasibly have scored two or three goals themselves tonight. The Brazilian defence hasn’t exactly looked watertight.
68 min: Alisson is forced into another magnificent save! Hwang Hee-chan strides in from the right and pearls a shot towards the bottom left. Alisson sticks out a strong arm. The ball then pings off the prone Gue-Sung Cho and eventually pinballs out for a goal kick … and then the flag goes up for offside. Alisson is having a magnificent game.
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66 min: Raphinha tears down the right, reaches the byline and cuts back for Richarlison on the penalty spot. Richarlison can’t connect, then the flag goes up for offside. South Korea continue to give up chance after chance; they’re very lucky that Brazil have dropped the intensity in this second half.
65 min: Hwang In-beom is replaced by Paik.
63 min: Before it can be taken, Dani Alves comes on for Militao. Then the corner, and it wasn’t worth the wait.
62 min: South Korea press forward again. Casemiro intercepts and launches a counter with a cheeky backflick. Neymar and Vinicius Jr combine to release Raphinha into the box from the right. He slams goalwards but cant get past Kim Seung-gyu. Corner.
60 min: South Korea commit quite a few men to an attack and ship possession. Neymar and Vinicius Jr don’t punish them on the counter this time, but the Koreans, in understandable search of a consolation, continue to ask for trouble.
58 min: Nothing comes of the corner.
57 min: … but Raphinha takes it instead, and flicks it off the wall and out for a corner on the left. “Every time the camera cuts to Gianni Infantino, he looks bored,” reports Kári Tulinius. “Say what you will about Sepp Blatter, at least he always looked thrilled to be at a World Cup match. It would explain a lot if Infantino just didn’t much care for football.”
56 min: Now it’s the other sub’s turn to panic, as Son Jun-ho needlessly shoves Neymar to the ground 25 yards from goal. Neymar’s eyes light up as he prepares to take the free kick.
54 min: Raphinha sashays into the Korean box from the right, twisting the new left-back Hong’s blood. What a dribble. He steers a shot across Kim Seung-gyu and towards the bottom left. It’s going in, but the keeper makes a wonderful save with the fingertips.
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52 min: Hwang Hee-chan slips a clever reverse ball down the inside-right channel for Son to chase. But Son doesn’t respond, allowing Danilo to intercept and clear. South Korea have actually looked pretty lively in attack this evening. Alisson has had to make a couple of big saves.
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50 min: So if all the gilt-edged chances in first-half injury time and the first five minutes of the second half had been taken, the score would now be 8-1.
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49 min: Belated news of two half-time changes for South Korea. Jung and Kim Jin-su have been replaced by Hong and Son Jun-ho.
47 min: Son catches Marquinhos faffing around, and suddenly he’s tearing clear down the inside-left channel. He enters the box and really should score, but as he aims for the top right, Alisson sticks out a strong arm and deflects the ball out for a corner, from which nothing comes.
45 min 24 sec: Raphinha strides down the right and looks for the bottom left. He doesn’t catch it well and it’s easy for Kim Seung-gyu to save.
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The South American Partick Thistle get the second half underway. No changes. “Yes, I’m fast turning into a miserable, curmudgeonly grumpy old man,” admits Andrew Goudie, “but these ridiculous Brazil celebrations are getting on my nerves. What’s wrong with a manly handshake and a jog back to the centre circle? Yellow cards all round if I were the ref.”
Cowdenbeath are nicknamed Blue Brazil, so it’s only fair Scottish football gives a little something back to the seleção. Here’s Adam Simpson explaining why Brazil “are known as the South American Partick Thistle (at least since I made that up about five minutes ago). This is extremely reminiscent of the 1971 Scottish League Cup final when Partick had four shots in the first half and went in 4-0 up against Jock Stein’s all-conquering Celtic side. What chance South Korea making a comeback?”
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Half-time Pelé-infused entertainment.
HALF TIME: Brazil 4-0 South Korea
Brazil have been sensational. You’d call it sexy samba football if you hadn’t witnessed them dance. South Korea have been completely shambolic at the back, mind.
45 min +4: On ITV, Ally McCoist, who knows a thing or two about goalscoring, is fuming as a result of all these missed chances. He’d have had a three-minute hat-trick in added time.
45 min +3: Richarlison romps in acres down the right. He enters the box, one on one with the keeper. Kim kicks away, a fine save. The ball breaks to Neymar, who can’t adjust his body in time to trundle into the unguarded net. Goal kick.
45 min +2: Vinicius Jr sends a ball through the six-yard box from the left. Raphinha should stoop to head home, but opts for the high-kick instead. He swishes fresh air.
45 min +1: Brazil paint more pretty triangles down the right, and suddenly Paqueta is one on one with Kim Seung-Gyu, albeit from a tight angle. He tries to flick across the keeper with his left foot. Had he taken it with his right, he’d surely have scored.
45 min: There will be five added minutes.
44 min: Jung is booked for waving an arm in Raphinha’s face. “Do you think England should start doing a little Morris dance after scoring?” wonders Anthony Speet. Make it happen, Gareth. Please make it happen.
42 min: Son goes down and rips off his protective face mask. But there’s no need for concern, he’s not aggravated his damaged eye socket. He’s just been winded in an accidental collision with Marquinhos, and is flailing about in temporary discomfort. He’s up again soon enough.
41 min: McCoist now points out the bigger picture viewers can’t see on their TV screens: that South Korea are repeatedly leaving themselves in three-versus-three situations at the back. Asking for trouble.
39 min: Hwang Hee-chan runs slap-bang into the back of Militao and claims a penalty kick. He’s not getting one. Poor Hwang; he’s been excellent in taking it to Brazil, but events down the other end have somewhat overshadowed his contribution.
38 min: On ITV, national treasure Ally McCoist posits the theory that South Korea’s attack-minded formation may not have paid full dividend.
GOAL! Brazil 4-0 South Korea (Paqueta 36)
Brazil get to dance their dance for the fourth time in less than half an hour! Neymar races down the inside-left channel and slips Vinicius Jr away on the overlap. Vinicius Jr loops long into the box. Paqueta races in and sidefoots into the bottom left. They made it look so easy.
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34 min: Raphinha dances this way and that down the right before cutting back for Casemiro, who drags a shot wide left from the edge of the box. It’s safe to say that Brazil haven’t declared.
32 min: Hwang Hee-chan is on a one-man mission to stem the flow and turn the tide. He sashays down the left, then along the byline, and attempts to force the ball home from a tight angle. Alisson spreads himself big to save with his chest. A fine run by Hwang.
31 min: Brazil do their circular dance again, then Richarlison runs to the bench and repeats it with all the subs and manager Tite. Brazil are in party mode all right, and these celebrations will surely be dedicated to Pelé.
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GOAL! Brazil 3-0 South Korea (Richarlison 29)
Brazil rip open South Korea at high speed, and with great ease! Richarlison plays head tennis with himself. He then juggles the ball with his feet, lays off to Marquinhos and races into the box down the inside-right channel. Marquinhos slides sideways to Thiago Silva, who instantly rolls a pass down the channel to Richarlison. He opens his body and sidefoots coolly into the bottom left. What outrageous skill from Richarlison! What a first-time pass by Thiago Silva! What a team goal!
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28 min: Neymar swings it in but Kim Young-gwon clears. However, Brazil come back at South Korea, and …
27 min: Nothing comes of the corner, but Brazil get another one soon after anyway as Vinicius dribbles down the left.
26 min: Neymar dribbles hard at the Korean back line, drifting left to right and winning a corner. He was nudged off balance during that run, but chose not to go over. The referee might have had a decision to make had he done so.
25 min: A first corner for South Korea, earned by Kim Jin-su down the left. It’s worked back to Hwang Hee-chan, who shoots straight at Alisson. Ambitious, but after that earlier effort, he’s earned plenty of moral credit to spend.
24 min: Militao creams a diagonal pass towards Vinicius Jr on the left touchline. Vinicius checks back and lays off to Paqueta, who curls powerfully into the box. Kim Seung-gyu punches clear with confidence.
22 min: … so having said that, the pace drops. Of course it does.
20 min: Vinicius Junior dribbles down the middle before losing control. Then Cho runs at the Brazilian defence. Casemiro is not to be moved. There’s a hectic basketball rhythm to this game all of a sudden.
18 min: Nothing comes of the resulting corner. Shame that didn’t nestle into the top corner, we’d have had a right old match on our hands then! South Korea may well have decided to go for broke, and what the hell.
17 min: South Korea, understandably so, look rattled. Simple passes not sticking. But then Hwang Hee-chan takes matters into his own hands. He cuts in from the left, exchanges passes, and from the best part of 30 yards sends a power curler towards the top right. That’s heading in! Alisson flies across and tips it over the bar spectacularly. What a shot! What a save!
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15 min: Again with the do-si-do rondo. That’s goal number 76 for Neymar in a Brazil shirt, and he’s now only one behind Pelé in the all-time list.
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GOAL! Brazil 2-0 South Korea (Neymar 13 pen)
After an interminable VAR review, the decision stands. Kim Seung-gyu doesn’t, though, falling to his knees as Neymar stutters during his run-up before rolling insouciantly into the bottom right. What a start for Brazil!
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Penalty for Brazil!
11 min: South Korea deal with an overly elaborate free kick easily enough. But the ball’s pumped back into the box. Jung goes to kick clear, only for Richarlison to nip in front of him. Richarlison gets kicked instead. The referee points to the spot.
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9 min: Brazil entertain themselves with an elaborate dance routine in the round. A funky rondo. Then they come again, Neymar drawing a foul from Kim Moon-hwan. Free kick in a very dangerous situation. South Korea need to watch out here.
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GOAL! Brazil 1-0 South Korea (Vinicius Junior 7)
Raphinha skins Hwang In-beom down the right. He enters the box and reaches the byline. He cuts back for Neymar, who can’t connect. The ball rolls to Vinicius Junior, in plenty of time and space in the left-hand side of the box. He takes a touch before steering a sensationally cool sidefoot across Kim Seung-gyu and into the top right. What a goal!
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6 min: What can I say? It’s a slow start.
4 min: A bit of space for Raphinha down the right. Under no pressure whatsoever, he rolls the ball out of play for a goal kick.
3 min: Marquinhos launches long. Richarlison chests down and tries to tee up Neymar, but he’s quickly dispossessed. Still, that’s a first touch for the returning superstar.
2 min: A long pass down the left nearly releases Vinicius Jr. The Brazil striker runs out of road. Throw. Both sets of fans are giving it plenty.
South Korea get the party started. A quarter-final against Croatia the prize on offer.
The teams are out! Brazil in glistening yellow, South Korea in vibrant red. A rare old atmosphere as Stadium 974 fills up for the very last time; this will be the final game staged at the World Cup’s first-ever temporary stadium. On ITV, Graeme Souness is in a grouchy mood, and he’s not sure if Neymar will be remembered as one of the greats. He’s not the only one with doubts, either. Here’s Charles Antaki: “Neymar back? Oh well then, that’s it for Brazil, well done South Korea. Apparently he’s been quite good for PSG this year, but surely the chances are that his inner self-indulgent showboatery won’t be able to resist the grand stage? The remedy might be to call down Cafú from the stands to wave a big stick at him throughout the match, or kick him, whichever is quicker.”
We’ll be off after a quick parping of the anthems.
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Yet another edition of the ever-exciting* PENNANT WATCH! The CBF have mixed form when it comes to World Cup-related paraphernalia. On the one hand, they managed to lose the original Jules Rimet Trophy, awarded to them outright after their third win at Mexico 70, then stolen, presumed melted down for coin, in 1983. On the other, they produce a top-quality pennant.
South Korea’s effort, if we can call it that, veers dangerously towards England’s THAT’LL DO baseline obscenity. But unlike the FA’s three somnolent kitties stretched out on the chaise longue, the KFA’s tiger would have your face off as soon as look at you.
* increasingly tedious, and it wasn’t that great to begin with either
Neymar is back for Brazil. He’s recovered from the ankle injury picked up against Serbia in their opening match. Danilo also injured his ankle during that game, and he too returns. He’ll start at left back with Alex Sandro and Alex Telles both out injured; Eder Militao, who replaced Danilo at right back against Switzerland, stays there. Militao is the only player who started the Cameroon game to keep his place, Tite having sent out a second string for that one.
Hwang Hee-chan is rewarded for his last-gasp heroics against Portugal with a place in South Korea’s starting team. The Wolves striker is one of two changes made by coach Paulo Bento, with defender Kim Min-jae also called up. Kwon Kyung-won and Lee Kang-in make way.
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The teams
Brazil: Alisson, Eder Militao, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Danilo, Casemiro, Lucas Paqueta, Raphinha, Neymar, Vinicius Junior, Richarlison.
Subs: Fred, Weverton, Dani Alves, Fabinho, Bruno Guimaraes, Antony, Rodrygo, Everton Ribeiro, Ederson, Bremer, Pedro, Martinelli.
South Korea: Kim Seung-gyu, Kim Moon-hwan, Kim Min-jae, Kim Young-gwon, Kim Jin-su, Lee Jae-sung, Jung Woo-young, Jeong Woo-yeong, Hwang In-beom, Son Heung-min (captain), Hwang Hee-chan, Cho Gue-sung.
Subs: Yoon, Paik, Song Bum-keun, Son Jun-ho, Hong, Hwang Eui-jo, Na, Lee Kang-in, Kwon Kyung-won, Jo, Kwon Chang-hoon, Kim Tae-hwan, Cho Yu-min, Jeong, Song Min-kyu.
Referee: Clement Turpin (France).
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A message to Brazil from Pelé, who will be watching from a Sao Paulo hospital. “In 1958, I walked the streets thinking about fulfilling the promise I made to my father,” he writes on Twitter. “I know that today many have made similar promises and are also going in search of their first World Cup. I’ll be watching the game from hospital and I’ll be rooting for each one of you. Good luck!”
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Preamble
Let’s keep this simple. The perninhas rapidas – fast little legs, as Tite describes his young team – of five-time winners Brazil should win this. But South Korea – who put paid to a repeat of the 1950 ‘final’ by knocking out Uruguay, and in Son Heung-min have a star as big as anyone the Seleção can select – could win it. Kick off is at 7pm BST, 10pm at Stadium 974 in Ras Abu Aboud, Doha. انه يحدث! It’s on!
