STADIUM 974 (DOHA): Somebody dimmed the stadium lights towards half-time, as Brazil prepared to take a corner and the Swiss phalanx to defend it. It came back soon on, something quite like how Brazil played their second game, against Switzerland at the World Cup here.
It may not have been the most fluent display by the South American charmers, but it was good enough to tell us how much they had in reserve going in the tournament. It also highlighted that capability to wear down the opposition who would have bought into the idea of fancying themselves a chance but would also seem afraid to poke the bear. It happened with Serbia in the opening game, it could have happened to Switzerland, only that the Europeans seemed more in control of their own capacities for a good while.
Famed mop-up man Casermiro scored a fine 82nd minute goal, a difficult volley opportunity provided by Vinicius, controlled and placed with the outside of his right foot into the top left corner of Yann Sommer's goal.
That the goal came, with almost all of the Brazilian attacking personnel changed towards the middle of the second half, just showed how much Tite has at his disposal as they eased into the next round in Qatar here. That it would leave the Swiss, measuring up in the encounter till such time, happy to keep the status quo going, befuddled and exhausted would come as no surprise. You can only factor in that much, how possibly do you account for such varied attacking possibilities?
After Casemiro's goal, the chances came in a flow thereafter, thick but somewhat slow, and it would fall upon Manuel Akanji in the Swiss defence to prevent any further dent on the scoreline.
Things started early for Brazil. In the second minute, Vinicius went this way and that, got himself a freekick. Taken from the left, he missed a diving Richarlison in the middle and the entire Brazil attack and Swiss defence across their goal.
Soon after, Lucas Paqueta's effectiveness showed when he and Fred opened up the rival defence on the right with three fine flicks between then set up Richarlison who entered the box but was thwarted by Akanji. It was an indication of the swift magic at their disposal, and the strength not to expend it quickly but wait for the moment.
Not that the Swiss were not in the equation. Breel Embolo and Djibril Sow sold the Brazil half a fine dummy and advanced forcing Casemiro to do his thing, resulting in the game's first free kick from 25 yards out.
In reply, Paqueta relayed a tap to Vinicius on the left, who immediately had four Swiss guards flock to him. The winger's flick outward back to Paqueta resulted in a fine cross but it missed a lunging Richarlison in the centre.
Paqueta, important in the Brazilian scheme especially in the absence of Neymar, seems to reprise that low, compact but not stocky play-making Brazil man with his fine flicks and delicate but efficient outstep distribution: that Brazilian small, tight area ball-passer of old. That he would be subbed by Rodrygo in the second half would tell us that he indeed may not have been fully fit as was suspected on match-eve, but that Tite needed him to help read the nature of the game and establish some semblance of control over proceedings.
For his part, Rodrygo immediately infused an urgency to the proceedings which his manager may have felt was time enough to unleash. But what it did, it also opened up spaces for the Swiss to exploit, which they seemed to do but not with any decisive intent.
The Swiss only hope was to play off on the break, wide like they did early on, but seemed to lack the pace to trouble Casermiro. Once they worked their way on the left, Ricardo Rodriguez jinking past a falling-back Raphina, to Ruben Vargas who got crowded out.
Then in the second half, Embolo would get a fine opportunity but he would prove too meek, giving you the impression that the Swiss were afraid to score and risk the Brazilian reaction.
It would show. Just past the hour, a finely crafted move would result in Vinicius doing his thing: Meet the ball on the left past his outstretched marker, move in and find the far net corner. Goal!
A VAR check would tell us he was offside – all the celebration of the Samba that would engulf the stadium would look wasted but on one was complaining. If anything, it would provoke fresh debate on returning the offside check back into flawed human hands.
It would also set the tone of things to follow. Akanji would foul Vinicius outside the box on the left. It would show that the Swiss were being unsettled, this sudden change of pace and the elimination of space being something which was catching them by surprise despite it being in their knowledge that it lay in the Brazilian repertoire all along.
