16 games have already been played so far in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, with high-scoring thrillers and fascinating goalless games stole the show, just as many would have expected. Five-time World Cup winner Brazil was scheduled to play the last group fixture in the first round and Seleção Canarinha did not disappoint their fans at all in their clash with Serbia in Group G and showed they are a team on a mission to win its sixth World Cup crown in Qatar this time.
A 2-0 victory over the team from the European continent could only be an understatement to reflect Brazil’s superb performance and incredible squad depth, especially at the front; They were dominating their opponent right from the first whistle and Serbia had no ways to overcome the mighty Seleção Canarinha, with no shots on target were registered throughout the 90 minutes plus added time.
Richarlison Hit a World Cup Wonder Goal
Despite ending the first half 0-0, Brazil needed no time to show their class and their early dominance meant goals were imminent. Their forwards and wingers kept pushing to attack the Serbia goal without fear, knowing that they had a solid midfield to hold the fort; Players such as Barcelona’s Raphina were seen toying with their Serbian opposition, cementing their confidence in this quadrennial tournament.
Seleção Canarinha’s efforts on goal finally paid off in the 62nd minute, with Tottenham Hotspurs forward Richarlison capitalising on a rebound from the Serbian goalkeeper’s save. There were doubts the goal was disallowed offside, but the video assistant referee (VAR) made the goal stand. 11 minutes later, Richarlison pulled off a wonder goal and the best goal so far in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar to complete a brace against Serbia. Richarlison was initially seen trying to control a cross from Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, but the ball popped up and he chose to leap up in the air to hit home an acrobatic bicycle kick. The score remained till the final whistle.
RICHARLISON WHAT A GOAL 🇧🇷 what did I just witness 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/QyCBwhlsQJ
— Jam (@Jamk___) November 24, 2022
Neymar Was Fouled Nine Times Before Coming Off
Richarlison was the star man for Brazil last night, a match in a major tournament where many are anticipating the 30-year-old Neymar, who has been in an exceptional form (13 goals and 11 assists in 17 matches this season) to shine. The Paris Saint-Germain forward had a deja vu of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in his home country as players from the Serbia national team were giving him a tough time with a total of nine fouls drawn. He was ruled out injured for the semifinal clash against the eventual champion Germany in 2014, and the Brazil coach immediately pulled him out of the game after a solid margin was gained during the match between Brazil and Serbia, in hopes of keeping him healthy throughout this year’s tournament.
Brazil’s Great Depth the Best of All
Teams such as Germany and Portugal looked different when their main players were subbed off in their respective games, but such cases were not observed for Spain and Brazil in theirs. Seleção Canarinha replaced their four attackers, namely Vinícius Júnior, Richarlison, Neymar and Raphinha in succession and still dominated their European opponent. It is only fair to say that Brazil indeed has the deepest squad depth among all 32 teams in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Seleção Canarinha will play another European nation, Switzerland in the next round of group fixtures.
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(Photo Credits: Sports Illustrated)