All of Brazil hails Cesar’s efforts
Home side comes back from brink
It was a prayer, a chant, in Portuguese and the sky was almost split by it: ‘‘I believe.’’
Estadio Mineirao resounded to the words. Neutrals, many appalled by the Route One eyesore the once beautiful Brazil became in this match, did not quite share the optimism of natives in the 57,714 crowd.
Their side somehow squeezed through to penalties. Before the shootout came another hymn, ‘‘Julio Ce-sar!’’ to honour Brazil’s goalkeeper. Cesar did his bit, saving shots from Alexis Sanchez and Mauricio Panilla as Chile’s first two kicks were squandered.
But it took Neymar, Brazil’s peroxide modern god, to intervene divinely – and brashly. With the shootout locked at 2-2, after Hulk and Willian had wasted Brazil’s advantage by missing and Marcelo Diaz and Charles Aranguiz converted for Chile, Neymar strolled to the spot to face destiny. He skipped to one side, jiggled in his run-up, stopped as he approached the ball: young idols are nothing if not confident.
To cynical European eyes it looked as if he’d overdone it – but as he reached the ball it transpired Neymar had fooled around enough to commit Claudio Bravo. Chile’s keeper went left. Neymar rammed his shot down the centre. Brazil were ahead again.
Estadio Mineirao grew louder than even before and Neymar went to Cesar to offer a pep talk. Gonzalo Jara, the final Chilean taker, a championship toiler last season with Nottingham Forest, missed his penalty with a certain inevitability.
He was unfortunate, though, his effort cannoning off the inside of the post and bouncing clear, following Cesar’s touch.
Neymar and Luis Felipe Scolari embraced in the centre circle, then David Luiz and Neymar sank on their knees in prayer.
Brazil are through but they journeyed to the brink.
Chile, one of the tournament’s revelations, played the more controlled football and had struck the bar through Panilla in the final minute of extra time. No wonder they were distraught.
They had fought back to 1-1 thanks to Alexis Sanchez’s goal following a mixup between Hulk and Marcelo and, having been dominated in a powerful opening spell by Brazil, grew to be the far more comely side.
Growing ever more desperate as first halftime came at 1-1, then fulltime, then penalties, the Brazilians recorded their lowest passing accuracy in any World Cup game since 1966 and played out the last hour of the match knocking punts at their substitute, Jo, for the gangly striker to knock down. They collected cautions, thrashed stupid shots from distance and got Neymar nowhere near the ball.
Scolari has always been a successful pragmatist but he risked his reputation with this.
Imagine if Brazil had gone out of a home World Cup playing like Wimbledon.
They’re still standing – but only with the functional ugliness of a skyscraper that has escaped demolition.
A certain Englishman will have an easier life as a result. Howard Webb, hounded for his handling of the 2010 World Cup final, risked another witchhunt after bravely disallowing a 51st minute ‘‘goal’’ by Hulk.
Bursting on to a long, diagonal cross, Hulk controlled and scuffed a volley past Bravo but Mike Mullarkey, Webb’s assistant, detected contact between ball and bicep as Hulk cushioned it with his chest.
Replays made the call look dubious and Webb took the brunt of Brazilian fury, being berated by Scolari, who was already enraged by a perceived lack of protection for Neymar.
But Brazil, while less pretty, stayed more effective.