They don’t look like BRAZIL They don’t play like BRAZIL BUT THEY MOST DEFINITELY ARE BRAZIL
The board had just been raised. Six minutes of injury time. Six minutes for Brazil to arrive at the 2018 World Cup. Six minutes that may come to define their campaign, for better or worse.
They didn’t look like Brazil, in their blue. They didn’t play like Brazil, either. When would they show themselves, the
Selecao. Where were they, this nation that defines a World Cup like no other?
here, at last, we are pleased to say. The tournament has already lost Mo Salah, it may be without Lionel Messi and Argentina by the middle of next week. Surely not Brazil as well. ‘Ciao, Messi!’ Brazil’s fans had mocked, arriving at Novokrestovskaya metro station near the St Petersburg ground. But for a while it looked as if it might be ‘ pa-ka Neymar!’ too.
That Russia is not saying goodbye to one of the World Cup’s superstars just yet was down to a goal largely forged in the Premier League. Not a very Brazilian goal with its cross from wide, its header, its Frank Lampard-like finish.
Nobody greatly cared about that. Those who had followed Brazil to Russia had long given up demanding or expecting the beautiful game. Now they just wanted a win. Nothing fancy, nothing lovely, nothing that would look wonderful if set to a carnival samba. Three points would do.
enclaves of Costa Rica fans were celebrating. Their players were dropping like flies, taking time out of the game. There were six minutes to save the day, to make Brazilian hearts sing any old way.
Marcelo whipped a cross in from the left, Roberto Firmino rose to win the header, Gabriel Jesus couldn’t quite bring it under control, Philippe Coutinho arrived late to finish smartly past Keylor Navas (below). There it was.
Brazil in front. Brazil on their way. The boys may have been in blue, but at least they were not yellow. They shrugged off the pressure, and expectation, to win, at the death with the weight of a World Cup bearing down on them.
The second came, with almost the last kick of the game. It had been a torrid night for Neymar. Booked for dissent, denied a penalty by VAR for diving, gingerly feeling his troublesome ankle whenever his touch was off, which was often.
Redemption arrived late. Douglas Costa — on at half-time for the careless Willian — crossed and Neymar shaped for a tap-in. It was nothing special, but it plainly meant a lot. Like Messi, Neymar carries a nation at this World Cup. Unlike Messi, it does not appear to have suppressed him entirely.
This was far from a good game for Neymar and contained no little ignominy considering his tumble exposed by the cameras, yet he ultimately helped drag his team through.
It was intense, though, and at the end, coach Tite could barely smile. Brazil will not wish to endure a repeat against Serbia next week. A second draw would have left Brazil desperately vulnerable but for long periods that looked to be all they would get. A brilliant rearguard action by Costa Rica, inspired by Real Madrid goalkeeper Navas, was partly responsible, but inescapably Brazil are not quite themselves here. The injury to Neymar is a key factor, obviously, because he does not look comfortable, but the rigours of the european season — now almost all Brazil’s starting players reside abroad — the pressure of expectation and a fluctuating tempo all made a contribution to a difficult afternoon, encapsulated by Neymar’s desperate dive 11 minutes from time. Thankfully, VAR corrected it, after referee Bjorn Kuipers initially gave a penalty. Neymar had made it look as if he was tugged backwards, arms whirling like propellers. On closer inspection, this was entirely false. he should have been booked there and then. Soon after, he was booked for dissent, anyway, disputing another decision. he left the field in tears at the end. They might have reflected his joy. They should have been tears of embarrassment. his play-acting was quite pitiful. Brazil had their chances, certainly in the second half. Jesus hit the bar from a cross by Fagner and Coutinho’s follow-up shot was deflected wide. Navas performed magnificently, too, tipping over a shot by Neymar from close range. In the 57th minute, Paulinho laid the ball back to Coutinho, who was frustrated by Navas again. Yet for all their possession, Brazil disappointed. Costa Rica defended well but when Casemiro fired a hopeful shot from outside the area with four minutes left, it summed up Brazil’s struggle. The last time they failed to make it out of the group stage was 1966. It was becoming a distinct possibility.
If further confirmation of Brazil’s malaise in Russia were needed, consider that until the 41st minute here they did not have a shot on target. It came from a defender, too — Marcelo, of Real Madrid.
No matter the result, Neymar looks in trouble. There were flashes, as there invariably are with such a great player. he killed right back Christian Gamboa in the 18th minute, flicking the ball over his head and sprinting away until tugged back. But that was it, a rare ray of sunlight.
Coutinho fed a lovely ball in to Neymar after 27 minutes, but his first touch was poor and the ball ran to Navas in goal. To the amazement of all, the best chance of the first half belonged to Costa Rica.
It came after 13 minutes when Celso Borges arrived late in the penalty area but shot wide. It was a similar opening to Coutinho’s in fact, his finish demonstrating the gulf between these teams. Whether the real Brazil will turn up in time for the round of 16 is another matter. First, they must beat Serbia, or maybe risk going head to head with Messi, for leg room on the plane home.