A stunning first half performance from Brazil saw them demolish South Korea and book a last eight clash against 2018 finalists Croatia. Vinicius Jr, Neymar, Richarlison and Lucas Paqueta were all on target for Tite’s men in front of a 43,847 strong crowd at Stadium 974 in the Qatari capital city of Doha.
The South American giants took the lead in the 7th minute, with Raphinha’s pass finding Vini in acres of space in the box, and the Real Madrid star duly did the rest. There was a hint of controversy about the second goal- a somewhat soft penalty for a foul on Richarlison, but Neymar converted to put the Selecao 2-0 ahead.
There was nothing controversial about the third though, with some superb interplay culminating in a fine Richarlison goal. 3-0 became 4-0 minutes later when West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta volleyed home from close range, and the game was over as a contest well before the interval. Korea did manage to pull one back in the second half, with Paiik Seung-Ho scoring a stunner in the 76th minute.
The result sends Brazil into a quarterfinal clash against Croatia, who beat Japan on penalties in their Ro16 match. The winner of the Brazil-Croatia game will play either Netherlands or Argentina in the semis.
