The Brazilian team prevailed in the friendly played this Friday (10) against South Korea, in Seoul, and won a calm 5-0 victory, with Estêvão and Rodrygo scoring two each, and Vinicius Junior closing the score.
In search of a more effective attack, Carlo Ancelotti sent a new ‘magic quartet’ onto the field, with Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior on the left, and Estêvão and Matheus Cunha on the right, without a reference man in the center forward position.
Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães, in the middle, were responsible for linking the defense to the attack, in a formation that put pressure on the Korean team at home from the beginning of the first half.
In defense, Ancelotti gave the first opportunity to Éder Militão, who was sidelined in recent months due to injury, with the coach betting on a Brazilian backbone based on names from Real Madrid that the Italian commanded before taking over the national team.
The national team arrived with danger in the opening minutes with shots from Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior, until the first goal was scored, in the 13th minute, with Estêvão. The Chelsea striker received a precise pass from Bruno Guimarães inside the area and anticipated the Korean defense to take it from the goalkeeper, hitting the ball high up to score his second goal with the Brazilian team’s shirt — the first was in the 3-0 victory against Chile, in the qualifiers.
Four minutes later, Casemiro headed in after a cross from Estêvão, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Brazil remained dominant in the attacking field, with the four men in front moving around, changing positions, without Korea being able to pose a threat to Bento’s goal.
At 41, Rodrygo, who had already arrived in danger a few minutes before, expanded. Ending a hiatus of more than six months playing for the national team, the Real Madrid striker returned, resuming the number 10 shirt and was one of the most involved players during the match.
When it came to scoring, he made use of a good move by Vinicius Junior on the left wing, who passed it to Casemiro at the edge of the penalty area. The midfielder served the Merengue striker, who got rid of the marker with a body move and hit a firm right, with no chance of defense for the Korean goalkeeper.
At the beginning of the second half, the rhythm of the first was maintained. After two minutes, Estêvão, once again, stole the ball from the Korean defender at the edge of the penalty area, advanced at speed and shot across to score the third.
Just two minutes later, Rodrygo scored another, once again being served by fellow merengue player Vinicius Junior.
At 32, when the Korean team attempted a reaction, it was Vinicius Junior’s turn to score. The striker received a good pass from Lucas Paquetá, who had come on ten minutes earlier in place of Estêvão, and shot towards the goal, dribbled past the defender already in the area and hit it past the goalkeeper.
Ancelotti had already tested the Brazil team with four men up front, but with different names, in qualifying games. In the victory against Paraguay, Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, Matheus Cunha and Gabriel Martinelli started among the starters. Against Chile, Martinelli, Raphinha, Estêvão and João Pedro were selected.
In an interview before the match against the Koreans, the coach had already indicated some dissatisfaction with the team’s offensive performance.
For the match at the World Cup Stadium in Seoul, he brought back Vinicius Junior, out of the last squad, and Rodrygo, called up for the first time by the Italian, with his experience at Real Madrid contributing to the team’s integration on the left.
On the right, Estêvão seems to be ahead in the fight for position, with Raphinha and Neymar still among the possible candidates for the team’s attack in the World Cup.
The Brazilian team’s first magic square was at the 2006 World Cup, when Carlos Alberto Parreira joined a team with Kaká, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, Ronaldo and Adriano. The team ended up eliminated in the quarter-finals by France, thanks to a goal by Thierry Henry.
The Brazilian team’s next commitment should be in November, in friendly matches against the teams of Senegal and Tunisia, in games played in Europe.
Technical sheet: South Korea 0 x 5 Brazil (Friendly)
Local: Seoul World Cup Stadium
Arbitrator: Abdurahman Ibrhaim Al-Jassim (QAT)
Goals: Estêvão (13th, 47th), Rodrygo (41st, 48th) and Vinicius Junior (76th)
Yellow cards: Kim Min-Jee, Kim Ju-Sung, Won You-Jee
Brazil: Benedict; Vitinho (Paulo Henrique), Éder Militão, Gabriel Magalhães and Douglas Santos (Carlos Augusto); Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães (André); Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior (Richarlison), Estêvão (Lucas Paquetá) and Matheus Cunha (Igor Jesus)
Technical: Carlo Ancelotti
South Korea: Jo Heeon-woo; Seol Youngwoo, Kim Jin-sung, Kim Din-Seob, Lee-sek, Choose Ya-min; Lee Dong-Geong, Cat on Jae-sung (Jin-Gy’), a Seung-ho (Don Jae); Son Heung-in (Oh Hyeon-Gy)
Hascnico: Hong Myung-Bo
