The Manchester United midfielder was the hero as the five-time winners booked their place in the knockout stages with a win over Switzerland.
It may not be pretty, but Brazil’s quest for a sixth World Cup is certainly on track. Twenty years on from their last victory, Tit’s men seem to have the tools to go all the way once again. They became only the second team behind France to reach the last 16, securing qualification courtesy of a 1-0 win over Switzerland at Stadium 974 in Doha on Monday.
In the first group match against Serbia, they had to be patient to win. It took a late strike, and a deflection from Manchester United’s Casemiro, to deliver it, on a night when Neymar’s absence could have cost them dearly.
But few sides in this tournament have looked as solid defensively as the Selecao, and after effectively nullifying any semblance of a Swiss threat, it seemed as if the goal was always going to come. It did against Serbia, and it happened again here.
The winners
Casemiro:
He doesn’t just do the dirty work, hey? There have been few better midfielders at this tournament than Casemiro so far, and here Manchester United provided the match-winning moment with a superb performance from the pair. Admittedly, he needed the help of a deflection, his superb half-volley deflecting off Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji into the far corner, but the 30-year-old was a fitting hero for Tite’s side, slotting home. Another flawless performance in the middle of the park. Casemiro’s ability to read the game and cover space defensively is crucial to the way Brazil wants to play, and what a bonus for the five-time champions if he is also chipping in on goal.
Squad of Tite
It may have been a while in coming, but there was, as there was against Serbia, a sense of inevitability in Brazil’s victory. Quite simply, they have too much-attacking quality to fail for 90 minutes. Even without their talisman, the injured Neymar, the array of talent on display was terrifying. Is Richarlison struggling? Gabriel brings Jesus. Does Raphinha disappear? OK, then let’s look at Antony. When things got tense, Tite was able to bring in one of the best midfielders in the Premier League Bruno Guimaraes, and one of the best young players in world football in Rodrigo. All the changes have had a positive impact. One of the subs, Rodrigo, set up the winner, his clean flick finding Casemiro at the edge of the box, and for a brilliant late block, the Real Madrid star would add a second. Some might argue that a manager should get more from such a stacked squad, but for now, Brazil is where they want to be; In the last 16, they know they have the ability to keep clean sheets and beat any team that stands in front of them.
Alisson Becker
Two games, two clean sheets, zero shots on target. Qatar has been a bit of an off day for the Brazilian goalkeeper so far, hasn’t it? The Liverpool man was a virtual spectator against Serbia, and he wasn’t needed here as his side produced another masterful defensive display. With Maquinhos and Thiago Silva reviving their excellent central defensive partnership in the middle, Casemiro patrolling up front, and Alex Sandro and the impressive Ader Militão strong and reliable at full-back, Brazil look to be the strongest team in the tournament. And even if that fails, they also have the best goalkeeper in the world. We haven’t seen him yet…
The losers
Richarlison:
From feast to famine. After Brazil’s win over Serbia in their first group game, all eyes were on Richarlison – especially in Neymar’s absence – to see if he could make an impressive start. He couldn’t. The Tottenham man was a virtual spectator here, drifting on the perimeter for 73 frustrating minutes before being replaced by Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus. In those 73 minutes, Richarlison had just 17 touches and remarkably completed just three passes. He almost got on the end of a pair of crosses from Rafinha and Vinicius Junior, but it wasn’t a game the in-form No. 9 will remember fondly.
Serbia
Brazil’s late winners Cameroon and Serbia will celebrate, but the latter will reflect on a huge missed opportunity after their opening Group G game. Against Cameroon, leading 3-1 with 27 minutes remaining, Dragan Stojkovic’s side had a chance. To put himself in a strong position to reach the last 16, recklessly chipping away at his advantage. Now, they need to beat Switzerland in their final group game and hope Cameroon doesn’t falter and qualify for Brazil early. Not impossible, by any means, but much harder than it should be.
Danilo
If there were signs that Brazil had lost Neymar here, the absence of their other injured man only registered. Like the Paris Saint-Germain superstar, Danilo has been ruled out for the rest of the group stage with a foot problem, but he could struggle to make it back into the squad if his replacement, Eder Militao, is fit anyway. Flawless performance right back. The Real Madrid man usually plays through the middle, of course, but his physicality and recovery pace proved more than useful here, albeit against a Swiss side that showed a disappointing lack of ambition going forward. He’s certainly no Dani Alves, in terms of his attacking forwards, but Rafinha (or Antoni, who replaced the Barcelona man late) in front of him needs to be.