CASEMIRO FIRES BRAZIL INTO FIFA WORLD CUP LAST 16
Brazil are the first team to not face a shot on target in their opening two FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 matches since eventual champions France in 1998
BRAZIL were not glorious without their injured talisman Neymar but Casemiro scored a late 1-0 winner over Switzerland on Monday to send the record five-time champions into the Qatar World Cup knock-out stages. Manchester United’s Casemiro fired into the top right corner in the 83rd minute off his former Real Madrid team-mates Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo. Vinicius Junior had wasted a big chance in the 27th and had a goal disallowed in the 64th at Stadium 974 in Doha for the top title contenders who follow defending champions France into the last 16. Switzerland, who had drawn with Brazil in their previous two World Cup games 1950 and 2018, had stood firm for most of the game but failed to threaten them before patient Brazil found the late opening. Brazil top Group G with a maximum six points while the Swiss remain on three.
BRAZIL were not glorious without their injured talisman Neymar but Casemiro scored a late 1-0 winner over Switzerland on Monday to send the record five-time champions into the Qatar World Cup knock-out stages.
Manchester United’s Casemiro fired into the top right corner in the 83rd off his former Real Madrid teammates Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo.
Vinicius Junior had wasted a big chance in the 27th and had a goal disallowed in the 64th at Stadium 974 in Doha for the top title contenders who follow defending champions France into the last 16.
Switzerland, who had drawn with Brazil in their previous two World Cup games 1950 and 2018, had stood firm for most of the game but failed to threaten themselves before patient Brazil found the late opening.
Brazil top Group G with a maximum six points while the Swiss remain on three. Cameroon and Serbia have one each after playing to an entertaining 3-3 draw earlier in the day in which the Africans wasted a 1-0 lead and then came back from 3-1 down.
The group concludes Friday with Switzerland v Serbia and Brazil v Cameroon, with Neymar unlikely to return in time from his right ankle injury sustained in the opening 2-0 against Serbia.
“We knew it wouldn’t be an easy group. It was very hard against Serbia. Switzer- land had a lot to offer. We were patient. It is not always nice games, the teams neuother, tralized each little things make the differCasemiro ence,”
said.
Looking at his goal, he added: “I hit the ball perfectly but the most important is to help the team.” Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer told German broadcasters ARD that “we didn’t allow a lot but lacked posession.”
H e added in reference to the Serbia game: “There is much at stake. We will take a lot of positives, especially in defence.”
Brazil coach Tite replaced the injured Neymar and Danilo with Manchester United’s Fred and Eder Militao while Swiss counterpart Murat Yakin brought young Fabian Rieder for not fully fit Xherdan Shaqiri.
The first big danger came in the 27th when Raphinha crossed from the right but Vinicius Junior could not properly connect and his volley was turned around the post by Sommer - who was then also on his guard against a long-range effort from Raphinha. Brazil lost too many balls against a firm Swiss defence which was also not caught in the dark when the floodlights briefly went out just before half-time.
The Swiss finally sort of threatened shortly after the break when Silvan Widmer raced down the right set up by Granit Xhaka but the Brazil defence hacked his sharp Ruben Vargas-bound cross away.
The introduction of Rodrygo made Brazil more dangerous and Richarlison - who had scored both goals against Serbia - just failed to meet a curling cross from Vinicius Junior across the goalmouth.
Brazil thought they had opened the scoring in the 64th when Vinicius Junior slotted into the far corner against a wide open Swiss defence, only for the goal to be nullified because Richarlison was offside in the build-up.
But another 19 minutes later Vinicius Junior passed to Rodrygo at the edge of the area, the ball was flicked on to Casemiro who beat Sommer with his classy effort to spare the South American giants blushes at a tournament which has already seen several upsets.
“We see the other surprising results, that’s what happens in a World Cup. But we’re being able to keep consistent performances,” veteran
defender Thiago Silva said.