DOHA, December 6, 2022 - Neymar is back, the swagger is back and, after the awkward interlude of defeat by Cameroon, so are Brazil. The five-time World Cup winners and pre-finals favourites in Qatar needed only six minutes to launch the high-speed despatch of South Korea and set up a much tougher quarter-final date with Croatia on Friday.

OVERWHELMING BRAZIL Vinicius Jr sent the samba drums hammering with the first goal inside six minutes and the rhythm was redoubled as Neymar (penalty), Richarlison and Lucas Paqueta all piled in within the succeeding 30 minutes.

Brazil relaxed in the second half and settled for a modest 4-1 win. This was the first time they had scored four goals in the first half of a match in the finals since a 5-0 win over Mexico in Switzerland in 1954.

An ankle injury in the opening win over Serbia had sidelined Neymar from the last two group-stage matches but he was intent on enjoying this one in pursuit of the World Cup winner’s medal which, for all of Brazil’s history, has never been his.

Neymar, in celebrating his goal from a soft penalty, ran to hug defender Alex Telles who has been ruled out of the finals by a knee injury. Notably, he did not fulfil his suggestion during the recent election campaign to dedicate his first goal in Qatar to then-President Jairo Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro is now history while Neymar and his teammates are striving to continue writing a sporting history of their own. The Paris Saint-Germain forward is the third Brazilian to have scored in three or more finals tournaments after Pele (1958, 1962, 1966, 1970) and Ronaldo (1998, 2002 and 2006).

A FAREWELL CONSOLATION South Korea, to their credit, continued playing the match as if the score were still goalless. They well deserved the 76th-minute consolation farewell goal which was rocketed up past goalkeeper Alisson by Paik Seung-ho. Alisson, as if he had endured a tough evening, was then substituted by Weverton.

For him, for Neymar and for Brazil there will be tougher to come, starting with Croatia in the quarter-finals on Friday. The 2018 World Cup runners-up had benefited, deservedly, from the first penalty shootout of the 2022 finals to end the exciting Japanese adventure.

PENALTIES LOTTERY Japan, after their defeats of Germany and Spain, had been expected to run the legs off the ageing Croat team but by the end of the 120 minutes, it was the Blue Samarai who were hanging on for the shootout after a 1-1 draw.

Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic was the Croat hero in the shootout. He saved the first two spot-kicks from Takumi Minamino and Kaoru Mitomo and then the third from Maya Yoshida. Marko Livaja was the only Croat to fail. He hit a post before Mario Pasalic cracked home the decisive kick for a 3-1 success.

Ivan Perisic had wasted a chance early in the first half to give Croatia the lead and Japan capitalised to lead just before halftime through Daizen Maeda. Daichi Kamada shot too high in the first minute of the second half, offering Croatia the opportunity to equalise with a fine header from Perisic in the 54th minute. So to extra time and penalties, a flight home for Japan and four days rest for Luka Modric and his teammates.