Brazil vs. South Korea: World Cup Favorites Meet a Team With Momentum

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:37 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:37 p.m. ET

James Wagner

Reporting from Qatar

36′ GOAL! Again, for Brazil! It is up 4-0 now. The first half isn’t even over yet.

Credit…Francois Nel/Getty Images

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:41 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:41 p.m. ET

James Wagner

Reporting from Qatar

Lucas Paqueta will get the credit for firing that shot home, but that was a tremendous chipped pass by Vinícius Júnior.

Credit…Francois Nel/Getty Images

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:36 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:36 p.m. ET

Richarlison initiated the sequence by juggling the ball on his head, flicking to a teammate and then taking the return pass and curling it into the far post. Jogo bonito at its bonitoest.

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:29 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:29 p.m. ET

29′ GOAL! Sweet mercy, Brazil. Another goal, and this one from Richarlison was beeeeeeeautiful. 3-0.

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:31 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:31 p.m. ET

James Wagner

Reporting from Qatar

Even Brazilian Coach Tite got in on his team’s post-goal dancing from the sideline.

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:27 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:27 p.m. ET

26′ Not sure what Neymar was doing there. Leading the Brazilian buildup with pace, he took one too many — O.K., about three too many — touches, and dribbled straight into a thicket of defenders.

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:25 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:25 p.m. ET

25′ Could it be? A … corner for South Korea, which has hardly controlled the ball in the Brazilian third.

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:25 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:25 p.m. ET

James Wagner

Reporting from Qatar

Just to illustrate the depth of this Brazilian team (and the French team is no slouch, either): Kylian Mbappé (five) has as many goals as Vinícius Júnior, Richarlison, Casemiro, and Neymar combined.

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:24 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:24 p.m. ET

Andrew Keh

Reporting from Qatar

21′ Hwang Hee-chan, the hero from South Korea’s final group stage game, is perhaps trying to do a little too much on his own to make something happen for his team. I’ve counted two, maybe three, occasions in these first 20 or so minutes in which he’s dribbled straight into the foot of a Brazilian defender, when a simple pass might have been the better move.

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:23 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:23 p.m. ET

Both teams played on Friday. Brazil sat nine regulars. South Korea, meantime, hasn’t had time to rest. Five of its players have played every minute. With South Korea needing to press now, it will be interesting to see how fresh the Taeguk Warriors are — and whether Brazil will feel comfortable enough to rest its own players in the second half.

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:20 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:20 p.m. ET

18′: Wonderful save there by Alisson, deflecting a bending shot by Hwang Hee-chan — the hero of South Korea’s match against Portugal — over the crossbar. We’re still 2-0, Brazil.

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:16 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:16 p.m. ET

13′ For those of you keeping track at home — or who have an encyclopedic facility with Brazilian soccer — Neymar now needs one goal to tie Pelé for the country’s scoring record.

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:13 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:13 p.m. ET

James Wagner

Reporting from Qatar

12′ GOAL! And Neymar successfully converts the penalty. It’s his 7th goal in 13 career World Cup games. Brazil is dancing again.

Credit…Michael Steele/Getty Images

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:12 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:12 p.m. ET

11′ Richarlison is pulled down in the box in a clear penalty. Here comes Neymar to take the kick.

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:12 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:12 p.m. ET

11′ A penalty to Brazil!

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:12 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:12 p.m. ET

Loads of patience there by Vinícius Júnior, who harnesses a centering pass and caresses a shot into the far-right corner. The play was made, though, by Raphinha, whose incisive run with the ball toward the goal line opened up space.

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:12 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:12 p.m. ET

Andrew Keh

Reporting from Qatar

Following the initial goal celebration, there was a great secondary coordinated dance celebration from Vinícius Júnior and three of his teammates. Is it me, or has there been a dearth of good goal celebrating in this tournament so far?

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:08 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:08 p.m. ET

7′ GOAL! Vinícius Júnior makes it 1-0.

Credit…Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:12 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:12 p.m. ET

James Wagner

Reporting from Qatar

Brazil made that look too easy. It might be a long night for South Korea. A give and go, a cross and a shot into the back of the net by Vinícius Júnior.

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:07 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:07 p.m. ET

6′ Turnover by Eden Militao in the Brazilian half negated by an offside by South Korea. Not much flow to this one yet.

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:06 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:06 p.m. ET South Korea’s Son Heung-min with the mask that protects a facial injury.Credit…Annegret Hilse/Reuters

The face of South Korea’s most recognizable player adorns banners, billboards and homemade T-shirts back home. But it has been concealed all World Cup, and not out of shyness or humility.

Son Heung-min, who catalyzed the late goal against Portugal that launched the Taeguk Warriors into the knockout round, fractured an eye socket on Nov. 1 during a Champions League match with his club team, Tottenham Hotspur.

After undergoing surgery, Son has taken to wearing a black mask, made of carbon fiber, over his eyes and nose for protective reasons. Before group-stage play began, Son told reporters that his mask was lighter than he expected and “more comfortable than I thought.”

The mask has hardly hindered his performance, or availability. He has not missed a minute for South Korea.

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Dec. 5, 2022, 2:06 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:06 p.m. ET

4′ Son Heung-min looks like he’s limping after that challenge deep in the Brazil end. Something to monitor.

Credit…Odd Andersen/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:04 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:04 p.m. ET

3′ It’s ketchup (South Korea) vs. mustard (Brazil) on a field of pickles. Neymar’s ankle looks fine, so far.

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:02 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 2:02 p.m. ET

1′ And we’re underway from Stadium 974.

Dec. 5, 2022, 1:56 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 1:56 p.m. ET

James Wagner

Reporting from Qatar

One of my favorite things at the World Cup has been seeing where fans come from and which ones stick around even when their home country has been knocked out. If you could afford it — and it isn’t cheap — wouldn’t you stay to watch some of the better teams in the knockout stage? At France-Poland on Sunday, I spotted some Mexican fans decked out in team gear also attending the game, even though the country was eliminated in the group stage. And in the stands at Brazil-South Korea on Monday, I saw some fans in Saudi Arabia jerseys. Their team was also eliminated in the group stage.

Dec. 5, 2022, 1:49 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 1:49 p.m. ET

Andrew Keh

Reporting from Qatar

In terms of pure soccer talent, South Korea is wildly outmatched tonight. But they will be happy to see the return of Kim Min-jae, a center back having a spectacular season with Napoli in Italy’s Serie A, into their defense after his recovery from a group-stage injury. There is one other change from the starting lineup that faced Portugal on Friday: Hwang Hee-chan, the forward who scored the dramatic go-ahead goal in injury time to lift South Korea into the knockout round. He missed the Koreans’ first two games with an injury, but could being a focal point in their offense tonight.

Credit…Jung Yeon-Je/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Dec. 5, 2022, 1:48 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 1:48 p.m. ET

James Wagner

Reporting from Qatar

There are pockets of South Korean fans in the stands nearly 20 minutes before the game starts. But the overwhelming majority of the stadium is made up of the distinctive yellow Brazilian jerseys. A samba classic — Sergio Mendes’s Mas Que Nada — is blasting through the stadium speakers.

Credit…Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters

Dec. 5, 2022, 1:38 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 1:38 p.m. ET

James Wagner

Reporting from Qatar

The crowd cheered, per usual, when the Brazilian team took the field at Stadium 974 for pre-game warmups, but presumably also for star Neymar, who was back in the starting lineup following an ankle injury sustained during the group stage.

Dec. 5, 2022, 1:26 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 1:26 p.m. ET Vinícius Júnior will start alongside Neymar up front against South Korea.Credit…Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Neymar is back from an ankle injury for Brazil, but so is the fullback Danilo, who was also cleared to play and will start at left back. That’s helpful after both Alex Sandro and Alex Telles were ruled out by injuries.

Brazil is seeking its eight consecutive berth in the World Cup quarterfinals. South Korea is trying to win its first knockout-round match since 2002, when it hosted the tournament. The winner faces Croatia on Friday.

Here is how the teams line up at Stadium 974:

Brazil lineup:

Alisson, Eder Militão, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Danilo, Casemiro, Lucas Paqueta, Raphinha, Vinícius Júnior, Neymar, Richarlison.

South Korea lineup:

Kim Seung-gyu, Kim Jin-su, Kim Young-gwon, Kim Min-jae, Kim Moon-hwan, Jung Woo-young, Hwang In-beom, Son Heung-min, Lee Jae-sung, Hwang Hee-chan, Cho Gue-sung.

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Dec. 5, 2022, 1:07 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 1:07 p.m. ET

It’s official: Neymar is returning (Neymar) for Brazil (Neymar) after missing (Neymar) the last two games (Neymar) with an ankle injury (Neymar). Danilo rejoins the starting lineup for the Seleção at left back. Also, Neymar.

Credit…Buda Mendes/Getty Images

Dec. 5, 2022, 12:45 p.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 12:45 p.m. ET Neymar practicing with his Brazil teammates on Sunday.Credit…Pedro Nunes/Reuters

How to watch: 2 p.m. Eastern. Fox, Telemundo.

Neymar, Neymar, Neymar.

Neymar?

Neymar!

After posting James Brown lyrics to Twitter — “I feel good, I knew that I would now” (not, sadly, that he feels like sugar and spice) — Neymar is now primed to rejoin Brazil’s lineup. With its ethereal forward available after a two-game absence, the Seleção evoke Rio de Janeiro during Carnival — a magnificent sight effervescing with creativity and vigor and joy.

Neymar unifies and coheres — on the field, at least. With a healthy Neymar, Brazil remains a favorite, if not the favorite, to win the World Cup, but his patronage of the outgoing far-right president Jair Bolsonaro has helped to divide a nation long accustomed to emphatically supporting the national team.

A win against South Korea might ease (some of) the tension, though it will not come easily. Not after South Korea swiped a victory — and a berth in the knockout round — during stoppage time against Portugal. Son Heung-min, mask and all, announced his presence by setting up a goal, and a result, that players have been describing as a miracle. Let’s see if they have another one in them.

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Dec. 5, 2022, 8:52 a.m. ET

Dec. 5, 2022, 8:52 a.m. ET England’s advancement felt inevitable.Credit…Paul Ellis/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

For two weeks, the World Cup toyed with new ideas: Lebanese fans masquerading as Qataris. Saudi Arabians posing as trash-talkers. Germans making it look as if they had forgotten how all this is supposed to go. It was all fun and fresh and new.

But now Neymar is quoting James Brown, and the bandleader is playing the classics: Argentina, the Netherlands, England, France. It’s not even Monday, and already the tune has changed at the World Cup.

Neymar returned to training on Saturday after a week on the shelf with an ankle injury. By Sunday, his coach, Tite, was not so subtly suggesting he would start against South Korea. Neymar definitely thinks he will: On social media, the showman quoted a showman, writing, “I feel good, I knew that I would now.”

Could there be a twist or two left? Of course. Morocco is carrying not only its flag but the banner of the Arab world at the first Middle East World Cup. South Korea nearly won its group. Japan did, though that was hardly a surprise to its coach, Hajime Moriyasu. “Our goal for the tournament is to reach the quarterfinal — and least,” he had said when he named his roster in November. Everyone in Europe had a good laugh at that. Now he and his team are 90 minutes away.

Maybe, just maybe, there’s still time for another breakout hit.

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Nov. 22, 2022, 5:42 a.m. ET

Nov. 22, 2022, 5:42 a.m. ET

Novice fans don’t understand it. Longtime fans claim to understand it, but then openly disagree about it. Referees and their assistants are trained to spot it but often have to turn to replays to make sure they’ve got it right.

The actor Ryan Reynolds — who, remember, owns a soccer team — admits he doesn’t understand it but has sought cover by saying, “in fairness, nobody understands the offside rule.”

But now you will as we examine a classic example and some trickier scenarios below.

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