Qatar 2022 Match Preview, Round Of 16. Brazil Vs South Korea

Written By Onyeka Daniel

Brazil will face South Korea at the Stadium 974 in Doha for a place in the Quarter-final of the Qatar 2022 World Cup. The Samba Boys recently saw their 17-game unbeaten run halted by Cameroon, in their last game, a game that they had next to nothing to play for as they had already qualified as group leaders after winning their first two games and basically reshuffled their lineup against the African side.

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The defeat to Cameroon meant no team has won all three of their World Cup group stage games for the first time since the USA 1994 World Cup, though that could perhaps be a good sign for Brazil as they went on to win the tournament that year. With a place in the next round at stake, expect them to revert back to their usual lineup as they aim to win the World Cup for a record 6 times.

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The Selecao have now qualified for the knockout stage of the World Cup for the ninth time in a row, and it has been 32 years since Brazil were last knocked out in the round of 16 but they will have to go through South Korea first, a side that isn’t short of surprises. Qualifying for the round of 16 was a thing of surprise for Korea as they needed a last minute goal against Portugal to ensure they qualify from their group and they will be hoping to pull another one here.

They’re one of the three countries to make it to the round of 16, for the first time in history, joining Japan and Australia but they will need more than hard luck to get past Brazil who will be bringing back most of their first team players for this game after making as much as 9 changes tl their starting eleven in their last game.

They did suffer a 5-1 friendly defeat to Brazil just six months ago, in which strong lineups were fielded by both sides, which will be a source of worry to the Taegeuk Warriors but then again, even if they get eliminated at this stage, the World Cup would be seen as a success instead of a failure, considering the level of opposition that they faced an overcame to progress to this point.

Style Of Play

Brazil coach, Tite didn’t just make wholesome changed against Cameroon, he even adopted a new formation, switching from his usual 4-1-2-3 formation to a 4-4-2 formation but expect his to revert back to his old formation. Brazil have failed to score in the first half in their last 5 World Cup matches which should be worrisome as they come up against a South Korean side that seem to grow in confidence in a match.

Korea can alternate between the 4-1-2-3 or 4-2-1-3 formation but the basics remain the same, stay compact and hit the opponent on a fast break. They can be very resilient and relentless especially towards the end of the game when the opposition is starting to tire out as they’ve scored four of their last seven goals at this tournament on or after the 90th minute mark.

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Brazil in their last 20 games played across all competitions, have 15 wins, 3 draws and 2 losses. Cameroon halted their 9 games winning streak and also a 17 games unbeaten run and the Selecao will be keen to have another run going, starting with today’s game. South Korea in their last 20 games have 13 wins, 3 draws and 4 losses. Head To Head Both teams have never faced each other in official matches before, just friendly games. In their five times of meeting, Brazil have 4 wins while Korea have just one win.

Players To Watch

Brazil coach has confirmed the recovery and availability of PSG talisman, Neymar Junior for this game, which will be a big boost for the South American team. Tottenham Hotspur striker, Richarlison will also be looking to add to his goal tally in this encounter. Tottenham Hotspur forward, Son Heung-min will be the focal point for Korea as they aim to make history while counting on support from Wolves striker, Hee-Chan Hwang to do the damage upfront.

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Injuries And Suspensions

Brazil will be without Alex Sandro, Alex Telles and Gabriel Jesus, with the latter having withdrawn from the tournament due to injury. For South Korea, they may have to do without their defense stalwart, Kim Min-Jae, who plays for Napoli in Italy because of a knock. His chances of playing remain slim at this point.

Verdict

Would be a tough game for Brazil, but expect them to get the much needed win because of their quality upfront and defensive stability, but they have to be wary of the Koreans and their relentless spirit.

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