In the round of 16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, five-time champions Brazil defeated South Korea with ease, 4-1, on Monday night (5 December). For the powerhouses, Vinicius Junior, Neymar, Richarlison, and Lucas Paqueta each scored one goal, while Seung-Ho Paik scored for Korea. On Friday night, Brazil and Croatia will square off in the quarterfinals (9 December).
At Stadium 974, Tite’s team got off to an exciting start by taking the lead after just seven minutes of play. Raphinha did incredibly well to elude his defender on the right side of the field and send a low cross into the area. At the far post, Vinicius Junior eventually received the ball, and with a strong finish, he gave his team the lead.
Richarlison was defeated inside the area by Woo-Young Jung six minutes later. The VAR agreed with the referee’s point of reference. Neymar took the ensuing penalty shot, walked up, and calmly placed it in the bottom right corner.
The five-time winner of the FIFA World Cup persisted despite having a two-goal lead and inevitably scored their third goal in the 29th minute. Richarlison capitalized on a sweeping Brazil play after winning a penalty for his team in the 13th minute by finishing Thiago Silva’s well-timed through ball.
Before South Korea could recover, Paqueta half-volleyed Vinicius Junior’s shot into the bottom-left corner as the Selecao added another goal to their total. Just before halftime, Paqueta had a chance to increase his lead, but the midfielder made a mistake by complicating matters and let the chance pass.
Brazil slowed down in the second half of the 2022 FIFA World Cup after playing the best half of football ever. Heung-min Son attempted to score Alisson’s goal after receiving a long ball from deep four minutes into the second half. The Liverpool goalkeeper pushed it wide after recognizing the threat.
Raphinha attempted to score in the 54th and 62nd minutes, but Seung-Gyu Kim deflected all of his attempts wide. Paik received the ball at the edge of the box in the 76th minute. He waited for a touch to regain his composure before firing a fierce half-volley. Alisson dove to his left, but he could not stop the ball from entering.
On Monday night, Tite’s team was above the South Koreans and never once appeared to be giving up the match. Five Brazilian athletes stood out during their resounding victory over the Koreans at Stadium 974, and they are listed below:
5. Lucas Paqueta
Lucas Paqueta, a midfielder for West Ham United, gave a standout performance against South Korea. He quadrupled Brazil’s advantage thanks to his excellent distribution, constant chance creation, and timely appearances.
With a deft half-volley, he finished off a pass into the box from Vinicius Junior while the Selecao strikers kept the South Korean defense on the defensive.
At Stadium 974, Paqueta made three crucial passes, set up a significant opportunity, won four duels, attempted two tackles, and completed 52 passes with an accuracy rate of 89.7%.
4. Richarlison
Richarlison, a standout for Tottenham Hotspur, scored his third FIFA World Cup goal on Monday, and it was a game-winner.
After winning the ball outside of the box, Richarlison handed it to Paqueta and then continued running down the middle. The midfielder sent a straightforward pass to Silva, who saw Richarlison’s run and set him up for a goal. The former Everton player finished with ease after facing the goalkeeper face-to-face. He found the bottom left corner of the South Korean goal.
Richarlison not only scored the stunning goal but also made two crucial passes, set up a significant opportunity, won three duels, and made three clearances.
3. Raphinha
Barcelona forward Raphinha had the opposition on their toes the entire night while operating on the right wing. He avoided several challenges on the right side in the seventh minute before cutting inside and sending a low cross across the face of the goal. To store it, Vinicius Junior grabbed the end of it.
Although he made only fleeting contact with it, Neymar was given credit for the assist, although Raphinha was the crucial element in that goal.
Raphinha also finished a dribble, made a game-high four critical passes, produced two major opportunities, won five ground duels, and made two accurate long balls.
2. Neymar
Neymar played against South Korea again, allaying fears regarding his participation in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He was the driving force behind all of the good things that happened for his nation, skillfully involving his teammates in play and opening up spaces by distracting defenders.
The star player for Paris Saint-Germain also confidently converted a penalty, taking a customary hesitant position and sliding the ball into the bottom right corner. He now has 76 goals for his nation, which puts him just one away from matching Pele’s all-time scoring total for Brazil.
Neymar made two crucial passes, set up a significant opportunity, completed 36 passes with an 85.7% accuracy rate, and won five ground battles against South Korea.
1. Vinicius Junior
Vinicius Junior, a left winger for Real Madrid, turned in one of his best games for the Selecao on Monday. He made excellent team connections, scored a beautiful goal, and showed amazing awareness to set up Paqueta in the 36th minute.
Raphinha crossed over the goal face in the seventh minute, and Vinicius Junior received it at the far post. In order to score his first FIFA World Cup goal, the forward took his time gaining balance before chipping the ball over the advancing South Korean defenders.
Vinicius collected the ball from Neymar on the left side nine minutes before halftime, saw Paqueta running, and brilliantly floated the ball into his path. With his finish, the midfielder was flawless.
In addition, Vinicius Junior made two crucial passes, made a dribble, made 22 passes with 91.7% accuracy, and defeated South Korea in a ground battle.