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Three things we learned from Brazil’s late win over Costa Rica

By Kian Long

SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - JUNE 22: Neymar Jr of Brazil celebrates after scoring his team's second goal with teammates Douglas Costa, Casemiro, Miranda and Roberto Firmino during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group E match between Brazil and Costa Rica at Saint Petersburg Stadium on June 22, 2018 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - JUNE 22: Neymar Jr of Brazil celebrates after scoring his team's second goal with teammates Douglas Costa, Casemiro, Miranda and Roberto Firmino during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group E match between Brazil and Costa Rica at Saint Petersburg Stadium on June 22, 2018 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) /
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SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA – JUNE 22: Neymar Jr of Brazil celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal with teammates Douglas Costa, Casemiro, Miranda and Roberto Firmino during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group E match between Brazil and Costa Rica at Saint Petersburg Stadium on June 22, 2018 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA – JUNE 22: Neymar Jr of Brazil celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal with teammates Douglas Costa, Casemiro, Miranda and Roberto Firmino during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group E match between Brazil and Costa Rica at Saint Petersburg Stadium on June 22, 2018 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) /

Brazil got the edge over Costa Rica, but the scoreline doesn’t reflect the game.

Brazil merged victorious courtesy of a 2-0 scoreline. But through the majority of the match, it looked like the result would be 0-0.

Costa Rica made it difficult for Selecao. They defended deeply as well as causing problems on an attacking front, but they let it slip towards the end.

Goalkeeper Keylor Navas was a standout performer for me, and he truly didn’t deserve to concede two goals.

Philippe Coutinho came up with the goods once again, slotting in from close range, putting the ball through the legs of Navas. This looked like it would be the deciding goal, but little did we know Neymar would stamp his authority on the match.

Neymar scored with the last chance of the game, poking it into an open goal. It was an excellent performance by him in the end, although he started off shakily.

What did we learn from this game?

1. Neymar is a clear target

Of course, Neymar is always going to be targeted by the opposing defenders. His trickery on the ball is something which needs to be prohibited, and defenders will take any means necessary.

This was shown in the opening half an hour, as countless tackles came in on Neymar, many of them leaving him on the floor. It’s a shame to see, but it speaks volumes of his quality.

There are some players which you just need to foul. It’s the only way to stop them. We see this week in week out in the Premier League, with Chelsea’s Eden Hazard.

However, Neymar came out of the situation laughing. Once Brazil snatched the first goal, Neymar was in the corner flag protecting the ball. Was he using his strength to shield the ball? You bet he wasn’t, instead he flicked the ball over the defender’s head and surged on. Incredible!

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