No Neymar, no problem as Brazil advance to round of 16
Cameroon draw with Serbia in impressive comeback
Brazil overcame the absence of Neymar to beat Switzerland 1-0 and advance to the round of the 16 of the World Cup on Monday.
Casemiro scored in the 83rd minute with a shot from inside the area to put Brazil in the last 16 with a match to spare in Group G.
Brazil striker Neymar stayed at the team’s hotel treating a right ankle injury sustained in the opener in Qatar. Team doctors have not yet given a timetable on his return — or said if he will return at all.
The win gave Brazil six points from two matches, leaving Switzerland with three. Serbia and Cameroon, which drew 3-3 earlier Monday, have point each. Switzerland need a win in the last match against Serbia to guarantee its spot in the next stage. A draw may be enough depending on the match between Brazil and Cameroon.
Impressive comeback
In A Wakrah, Qatar, Cameroon staged an impressive comeback in a 3-3 draw against Serbia despite replacing their goalkeeper at the last minute.
Andre Onana, who plays for Italian club Inter Milan, wasn’t in Cameroon’s lineup or even at the stadium to watch the Group G match.
Coach Rigobert Song said he dropped his starting goalkeeper for “disciplinary reasons,” but didn’t give any specifics. “In a group you need to respect the rules that apply to everybody, and I prefer to ensure that the team takes precedence over individuals,” Song said. “If you can’t fit in with what’s required to be part of a squad, then I do think that you need to step up to the plate and accept responsibility for that.”
Song replaced Onana with Devis Epassy, who made only his sixth international appearance.
“I took a risk, I realize that,” Song said. “Maybe we’re going to have to explain what happened later.” Song said Onana hasn’t been kicked out of the squad and didn’t rule him out of Cameroon’s last group stage match against Brazil on Friday.
Cameroon were down 3-1 but second-half substitute Vincent
Aboubakar turned the game with a goal and an assist.
He lobbed Serbia goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic in the 64th minute to score his 34th goal for the Indomitable Lions, and set up striker Eric Maxim ChoupoMoting two minutes later for the equalizer.
“The lion roared today,” Aboubakar said. “I dedicate this result to the squad, and to the people of Cameroon.”
The thrilling draw was the first game at the World Cup in Qatar in which both teams gave up a lead. Cameroon took the lead in the first half through central defender Jean-Charles Castelletto’s 29th minute tap-in but then conceded twice in quick succession in stoppage time. Strahinja Pavlovic’s headed in a free kick to level the score before Sergej MilinkovicSavic struck from 20 meters just two minutes later.
Striker Aleksandar Mitrovic made it 3-1 at the start of the second half after Serbia opened Cameroon’s defense with a series of quick passes.
Aboubakar came on shortly after and led Cameroon’s comeback. “We were not smart enough to finish the match to our own advantage,” Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic said. “We have to be fully concentrated and we need to be on a higher level, especially in our backline because such mistakes should not be made and not repeated anymore.”
Both sides lost their opening games, with Serbia beaten 2-0 by Brazil and Cameroon losing 1-0 to Switzerland.