Brazil beat Serbia 2-0, secure first place in group
After a tie in its opener with Switzerland and a hard-fought win over Costa Rica, the Brazilian squad beat the Serbians 2-0 in Moscow, with goals by Paulinho and Thiago Silva.
The score brings the seleção to the top of Group E. Brazil are now to face Mexico on Monday. Switzerland also qualified for the quarterfinals by tying 2-2 with Costa Rica.
The Brazilian team showed their best performance in the World Cup so far. With only a tie sufficing to clinch a spot in the next round, Brazil was patient enough to pass the ball, risk little, and not give in to the opponents’ counterattack. The Brazilian defense showed skill against the tall, strong Serbian forwards, who had little scoring opportunities.
It was a victory with few scares, in which a safe game prevailed over a beautiful game. Brazil demonstrated it was capable of mounting a solid defense and take advantage of the flaws in the Serbian defense.
In an interview after the match, Thiago Silva said the squad showcased patience and tenacity during the game, and knew “how to suffer.”
“From the first game up to now, we faced difficulties in a few moments. The most important thing is, we knew how to suffer. The other side has qualities too.” Brazil did not lunge at the Serbians for the quickest goal possible, as some might have expected. Neymar resorted to few of the moves in his arsenal and played with a larger focus on synergy.
