BRAZIL’S UNSUNG HEROES

NEYMAR inevitably grabbed the headlines and plaudits again after Brazil’s 2-0 World Cup win over Mexico on Monday but their real campaign heroes have been elsewhere.

Brazil’s defensive record under coach Tite has been remarkable, with only six goals conceded in 25 matches, and they have been just as miserly in Russia where they have only conceded one goal.

Their round-of-16 tie against Mexico was another object lesson in defending from the central pairing of Thiago Silva and Miranda, assisted by fullbacks Fagner and Filipe Luis and given an extra layer of protection by Casemiro in midfield.

Many teams would have wilted under the pressure as Mexico poured forward in the first 20 minutes just as they had in their famous 1-0 win over Germany – but Brazil were made of sterner stuff.

Every time a Mexican tried to get the byline, there was a well-timed tackle to stop him; every time they got into a good shooting position, there was a body in the way to block the shot; and every time the ball was crossed into the Brazilian area, there was a foot or head to repel it.

After his team beat Austria 3-0 in a warmup friendly, Tite lauded his players for only conceding eight freekicks.

“That shows that we use aggressive marking to try and win the ball and then come out playing,” he said.

On Monday, they conceded even fewer – six free kicks.