Brazil v Costa Rica - Brazil survive Costa Rican scare with late goals - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia - Match 25

Philippe Coutinho and Neymar scored injury-time goals to help Brazil claim a 2-0 win over Costa Rica at the World Cup.

Coutinho poked the ball past goalkeeper Keylor Navas in the first minute of injury time, and Neymar volleyed in another with virtually the last kick of the game six minutes later.

Neymar then broke down in tears and sobbed for several moments. His teammates helped him off the ground to celebrate.

It had looked like Brazil, after drawing its opening game 1-1 with Switzerland, was heading for another stalemate.

Brazil attacked relentlessly in the second half and was awarded a penalty in the 78th when Neymar was impeded as he cut inside defender Giancarlo Gonzalez. But referee Bjorn Kuipers went over to look at the sideline monitor and reversed the decision.

Brazil has four points heading into its final group game against Serbia on Wednesday.

Brazil does not have a lot of time to improve: even if it wins its group, it may have to face Germany or what looks to be a strong Mexico team in the first knockout game.

Until stoppage time, it appeared that Brazil was going to need a win against a solid Serbia team in its third match to get through to the knockout stage, and it still might. Brazil last failed to advance out of group play in 1966. Still, for all the team’s brilliance both individually and in qualifying, Brazil has looked nothing like “Brazil” for the better part of three hours of soccer in Russia.

Maybe it was the royal blue uniforms they lined up in Friday, rather than their famous canary yellow shirts, that made Brazil look so unfamiliar, so off, but then they wore those in the first match and managed only a goal and a draw against Switzerland.

SOURCE:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12075941
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/sports/world-cup/brazil-vs-costa-rica.html