Brazil miss Neymar but advance to knockouts as Casemiro steps up vs. Switzerland

DOHA, Qatar -- Casemiro's 83rd infinitesimal victor was capable to publication Brazil's spot successful the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup acknowledgment to a 1-0 win implicit Switzerland astatine the Stadium 974 connected Monday. But for truthful overmuch of the match, Brazil looked similar they were missing the creativity offered by their absent prima antheral Neymar arsenic they continually tried to interruption down Switzerland's resolute defence lone to travel distant bare handed.

- World Cup 2022: News and features | Schedule | Squads

Vinicius Junior thought helium had opened the scoring successful the 63rd minute, lone to person VAR intervene and regularisation the effort retired owed to Richarlison's offside presumption earlier successful the move. Eventually Casemiro broke the deadlock precocious connected to guarantee Brazil are done to the knockouts, portion Switzerland tin inactive marque the past 16 arsenic they look Serbia successful their last radical signifier match.

JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Postmatch quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid Reaction

1. Neymar-less Brazil lacked inspiration

There's been a batch of speech astatine this World Cup astir immoderate excavation signifier matches becoming games of chess: some teams waiting for an opening, prodding away, but yet it takes 1 bold determination to bring a crippled alive. There are the catalysts present successful Qatar who tin bash that, but Brazil are missing their main originative force. Neymar has provided that spark for Brazil successful the past, but with their prima guardant injured, they lacked the quality for truthful overmuch of the lucifer to prise unfastened the well-organised Swiss defence.

The Selecao looked void of inspiration successful the archetypal fractional -- a 45 minutes which resembled the opening fractional of their archetypal lucifer against Serbia -- but the instauration of Rodrygo astatine the interruption gave them immoderate spark to bring the crippled to life. But inactive they recovered it almightily hard to interruption down the Switzerland backmost 4 -- with Granit Xhaka and Robin Freuler besides doing a superb occupation to play their portion successful a midfield tussle.

They tried going wide to Vinicius and Raphinha -- but recovered those alleys mostly blocked -- and seldom profited done the middle. Prior to Casemiro's 83rd infinitesimal winner, they lone mustered 3 decent chances. The archetypal was Vinicius tame changeable astatine Yann Sommer successful the archetypal half, arsenic helium was incapable to person unmarked from 10 yards out. Then came Richarlison successful the 2nd fractional failing to get his toed connected the extremity of a Vinicius cross, portion it was the Real Madrid antheral to beryllium frustrated successful the 63rd infinitesimal arsenic helium thought he'd opened the scoring, lone to person the effort chalked disconnected owed to Richarlison's offside presumption earlier successful the move.

Casemiro yet broke the deadlock, and the crippled became much frantic arsenic Switzerland chased an equaliser but without Neymar, Brazil looked blunt successful onslaught for truthful overmuch of the crippled and needed the seasoned to travel up with the goods.

2. Brazil trust connected Casemiro to seal qualification

Casemiro said successful the physique up to the lucifer that helium felt atrocious for the opposition, specified is the spot successful extent that Brazil person astatine their disposal. On the look of it, you could spot wherever he's coming from, particularly arsenic Brazil could bring connected Gabriel Jesus, Bruno Guimaraes, Antony and Rodrygo -- that's astir £200m worthy of endowment close there.

But it was the aged lad himself who broke the deadlock arsenic it was his 83rd-minute deflected onslaught which gave Brazil the lead. It was a wonderfully taken strike, but it was partially down to the diligent onslaught with Vinicius yet stretching Switzerland's defence, Rodrygo flicking a delightful shot to Casemiro and the antiaircraft midfielder finishing it off. At this signifier Brazil were efficaciously playing a 2-4-4 enactment successful attack, with their fullbacks portion of the midfield, and Thiago Silva and Marquinhos anchoring it astatine the back.

But barroom Rodrygo, the others disconnected the seat failed to truly alteration the travel of the match. On the look of this, Rodrygo needs to commencement against Cameroon arsenic helium provided much impetus successful onslaught than Lucas Paqueta did successful the first-half portion the remainder of the seat failed to marque a existent impact. It needed the dependable mainstays to spot them location with Casemiro again proving wherefore helium is indispensable.

3. Switzerland inactive person a accidental to spell through

Despite the result, Switzerland are successful with a fantastic changeable of making the knockout stages of this World Cup. With Cameroon defeating Serbia earlier successful the time -- Switzerland and Cameroon caput into the last circular of fixtures tied connected 3 points each. That Switzerland-Serbia lucifer promises to beryllium a heated matter but judging by Switzerland's archetypal 2 matches successful this World Cup, they'll caput into that arsenic favourites.

They were well-organised against Brazil and frustrated Tite's broadside for overmuch of the match. They conscionable needed that small spot much ruthlessness successful beforehand of goal, but they hustled Alisson -- causing the usually immaculate goalkeeper into 2 botched errors arsenic helium tried to play retired from the backmost -- and did origin Brazil the unusual headache. Xhaka and Co. stuck to their strategy and were unlucky not to travel distant from this with a point.

Player ratings (1 = worst, 10 = best)

Brazil: Alisson 6, Eder Militao 7, Thiago Silva 6, Marquinhos 6, Alex Sandro 7, Fred 6, Casemiro 8, Lucas Paqueta 5, Raphinha 6, Vinicius Junior 7, Richarlison 6

Subs: Rodrygo 7, Bruno Guimaraes 6, Antony 6, Gabriel Jesus 6, Alex Telles 6

Switzerland: Yann Sommer 7, Silvan Widmer 6, Manuel Akanji 7, Nico Elvedi 7, Ricardo Rodriguez 6, Remo Freuler 7, Granit Xhaka 7, Djibril Sow 6, Ruben Vargas 6, Fabian Rieder 6, Breel Embolo 6

Subs: Edimilson Fernandes 6, Renato Steffen 6, Haris Seferovic 6, Michel Aebischer 6, Fabian Frei 6

Best and worst performers

BEST: Casemiro

Casemiro was astatine the bosom of this Brazil show and took the accidental erstwhile it came his way.

WORST: Lucas Paqueta

He was meant to beryllium the spark to bring the Neymar-less Brazil onslaught to life. But alternatively the West Ham playmaker made mode astatine fractional clip aft a frustrating archetypal half.

Highlights and notable moments

After a deficiency of inspiration successful the last 3rd for astir of the game, the breakthrough for Brazil came done Casemiro.

After the match: What the players and managers said

Quotes to come...

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

- Casemiro is the 85th antithetic subordinate to people for Brazil successful the World Cup.

- Casemiro: At 82:15, its the 5th latest regularisation crippled victor by a Brazilian astatine the FIFA World Cup

- Brazil: Clinches spot successful Round of 16 with win; wins archetypal 2 matches of World Cup for archetypal clip since 2010 (had 8 consecutive World Cups winning archetypal 2 matches from 1982-2010)

Up next

Brazil: They look Cameroon connected Friday astatine 10 p.m. section time/2 p.m. ET. Brazil person qualified for the circular of 16 and tin remainder cardinal players.

Switzerland: The Swiss volition clash against Serbia connected Friday, besides astatine 10 p.m. section time/2 p.m. ET. It's each to play for going into the last matchday of this group.