In a nod to Pele, Brazil put on their dancing shoes

It started awkwardly, players looking unsure with the folded banner. Missing was the coordination of the dance celebrations that followed each of their four goals. But like everything else about Monday evening, Brazil showing the world that Pele was in their thoughts did come together well in the end.

For a team that hadn’t scored in the first half so far, Brazil were 4-0 up by the 36th minute on Monday against South Korea who pulled one back through Paik Seung-ho. The 4-1 win has set up a Brazil-Croatia quarter-final.

By now, the world has seen Brazil’s third goal of the night many times but the sheer insouciance of it bears repetition: Richarlison juggling the ball on his forehead, the involvement of centre-backs Marquinhos and Thiago Silva so close to the South Korea penalty area and then the captain’s assist for the No.9. This was football for fun best described by that old chestnut of a cliche, jogo bonito. Richarlison has now scored two of the best goals of the tournament.

“They are bold, they try one on one moves, feints, its impressive,” said head coach Tite who discarded the image of an avuncular 61-year-old by matching steps with his players. “It was hard to learn to perform their dance.”

Tite had made the point of dance being an important part of Brazil’s culture before the tournament and on Monday, the team produced different routines, each as delicious as the goals from Vinicius Jr, Neymar Jr, Richarlson and Lucas Paqueta.

From 18 attempts, Brazil had 10 shots on target, two of which were blocked. That meant they scored four goals from eight attempts. Compare that with 10 attempts on target from 24 tries on goal against Serbia, five from nine against Switzerland or three from seven in the loss to Cameroon and you notice an uptick in efficiency. Head coach Tite also didn’t forget to mention that Brazil had the same number of attempts on either side of half-time.

It was a significant shift from scoring the least since 1978 on way to qualifying from the group and being among teams that have got the fewest goals on way to the round of 16. Brazil had a xG (expected goals is a measure of goals scored from chances created) of 5.42 but scored only three goals in three games. They were getting in the front third – Tite had pointed out that Brazil had the second most attempts after the group stage – but the goals were not coming. In some style, Brazil changed that in the second half.

Neymar attributed this to collaboration. “I think our team was the star today,” he said. “It is hard to give the Player of the Match award to one of the players because everyone played well. They all deserve congratulations,” he said on being adjudged the best. It echoed what Casemiro said after getting the award against Switzerland. If the hexa is to happen, it will through a collective effort is a point Brazil have tried to make here in Doha.

“We are part of a machine, if the other cogs don’t work, we will not reach our goal,” said Tite. He also said it was good to be tested in the group stage because it forced the team to improve.

His ankle, Neymar said, gave him no discomfort. “The night I injured myself (in the opening game against Serbia) was a difficult one because thousands of things were running through my head.” Among them was “doubt” and “fear.”

“But I had the support of my teammates and family to find strength where I thought I had none left,” he said.

Neymar acknowledged there was room for improvement but all of Brazil will be relieved that he spent 80 minutes. Tite had said he would play Neymar if he was fit and true to his word, started the player assistant-coach Caesar Sampaio described as one who “manages to greatly enhance the virtues of our attackers”. Neymar withstood stiff challenges and calmly converted a penalty. It took him to 76 international goals, one short of Pele’s mark.

Two clean sheets in four games is proof that the defence is okay. Monday showed that the attack, based on how the backline and goalkeeper play out the ball and where Raphina’s role was important, can be spectacular. “It is a balanced team… they know if they are unbalanced it can be fatal,” said Tite. This is a team that likes the ball and is good at winning it back, he said. “They way they play represents me.”