Brazil’s football poetry is an ode to Pele

Agency :
We are here. We are here to win the Qatar World Cup. That’s what Brazil said on Monday night. The 4-1 win over South Korea has been a massive statement. A warning to rivals. A fearsome display of attacking prowess. Each of the goals felt like stiletto slashes as the Latin Americans glided around the Stadium 974 pitch like ballerinas.
It was football ballet in Doha. Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, Richarlison, Lucas Pasquet, Casemiro and Neymar Junior tip-toed into the South Korean penalty box repeatedly with ease and elan. They twisted, turned, leaped and pirouetted before the slipping the ball into the net. More dancing followed.
Each goal was celebrated with a circular bouncing dance near the corner flag. Pasquet did a solo dance before his teammates converged on him. Richarlison ran to the substitutes’ bench to celebrate his goal with coach Tite, who too shook a leg. It was dance on football field. A Brazilian dance. The Samba dance.
A dance that silenced their critics. Brazil needed it. Brazilian fans needed it. The sea of yellow-clad supporters at Qatar’s stadiums had been disappointed with the underwhelming performance in the group stage. After a clinical display to subdue Serbia, Brazil struggled to overcome Switzerland and lost to Cameroon (Nine changes is not an excuse for this star-studded team).
What changed? The difference was Neymar. He was at the heart of Brazilian attacks that took down the stubborn Serbians with a three-goal burst. Injury kept the Paris Saint-Germain forward out of the next of two games, where Brazil worked hard with meagre rewards.