NEYMAR’S FULL BOX OF TRICKS
Magic man shows he is ready for Wembley
No mugs, Japan. Granted, they are never likely to threaten the final stages of a World Cup but they are always likely to pose questions of the opposition.
Next summer will be the nation’s sixth consecutive appearance at a World Cup. In qualifying, they scored 27 and did not concede a single goal in their initial eight group matches, and then beat Australia comfortably to seal qualification in August.
This Brazil performance, therefore, should worry their rivals. In patches, they were magnificent, shutting down this game before Japan had paused for breath. By half-time, Brazil were three goals ahead but it was three going on six.
The front three of Chelsea’s Willian, Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus and Paris Saint- Germain’s world- record signing Neymar teased Japan’s back line with a glorious blend of pace, power and finesse.
Their 58-year-old coach Tite has gradually erased the scars of that haunting 7-1 defeat by Germany at the 2014 World Cup and the team who started here featured only two survivors from the lineup: Fernandinho and Marcelo, who both excelled as experienced heads leading a new cohort of talent here.
Brazil won 10 and drew two of their 12 qualifiers under Tite. They ended their qualification phase 10 points clear of nearest rivals Uruguay and scored more than twice as many goals as Argentina.
In many ways, Brazil’s strength here could be found in what they held back. This victory was also achieved without the services of Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho, who is injured, and Roberto Firmino, who did not come off the bench. Chelsea’s David Luiz did not even make the squad.
For £198million forward Neymar, this was another sparkling demonstration of his qualities. He bamboozled opponents with his dancing feet and scored the opening goal from the penalty spot.
It was not perfect. He was frustrated by missing Brazil’s second penalty and also received a yellow card for a niggly coming-together with Marseille’s Hiroki Sakai.
Brazil go to Wembley on Tuesday and Gareth Southgate’s preoccupation this weekend should be how on earth to stop a Brazil side who positively purr when the mood takes them. He may find one flaw in their approach to defending set-pieces, and when Japan did rally in the second half, Tomoaki Makino rose in between Jemerson and Alex Sandro to head home from a corner.
But Tite’s side had taken the lead inside nine minutes after referee Benoit Bastien made use of the video assistant referee to award a penalty. Replays showed that Southampton defender Maya Yoshida had pulled Fernandinho’s shirt. Neymar converted.
Jesus was bundled over for a second penalty, but goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima comfortably saved from Neymar this time. Yet from the subsequent corner, Brazil doubled their lead as Real Madrid’s Marcelo blasted into the net sweetly from 25 yards.
Jesus put the final touch to a sublime Brazil counter-attack for the third.