Brazil vs South Korea, FIFA World Cup 2022 Live Updates: BRA lock horns with KOR with QF spot at stake in Stadium 974

Even with a returning Neymar, Brazil face stern test against South Korean wing-crashers
Neymar kicks the ball among three Serbian players during the World Cup match between Brazil and Serbia. (AP photo)
Ahead of this World Cup, South Korea had been labelled the ‘Son Heung-min team’. Their chances this year, as a side that is not quite close to the 2002 team that reached the semifinal as co-hosts, largely hinged on their talisman, who suffered an eye socket injury and faced a race against time to be fit for the first match.
Son played despite being in recovery mode and not at his best, but his side played solid football, well-structured in defence with plenty of patterns of play to create attacks. They were arguably the best team of their group, which contained Portugal, Uruguay, and Ghana, but still needed a last-minute winner and results elsewhere to go their way to seal their place in the knockout phase.
The reward for that determination and resolve: a meeting with the tournament favourites Brazil. And as if the tie needed to be tipped any further in the Selecao’s favour, head coach Tite has confirmed star-man Neymar Jr. will return for the game after recovering from an ankle injury. (READ MORE)