Brazil group champions as Cameroon lose 1-4
Group Stage
Group A, Match 5
Two goals from Neymar helped Brazil to a 4-1 win over Cameroon and set up a last-16 clash with Chile, reports Goal.com.
The forward exposed a vulnerable defence with glee in Brasilia on Monday, his first-half double sandwiching Joel Matip's unlikely leveller.
Brazil ultimately progressed with a degree of comfort, as the much-maligned Fred and substitute Fernandinho added further goals after the interval to secure a last-16 tie against fellow South Americans Chile.
Mexico were victorious against Croatia in Group A's other closing fixture, but failed to make up a goal-difference deficit as the hosts retained top spot.
While a routine triumph in which Brazil's star man took his tournament tally to four goals will provide comfort, Luiz Felipe Scolari is unlikely to partake in too much backslapping.
Indeed, after coming through a group featuring no other major footballing powerhouse, Scolari is likely to demand more of his side as they prepare to face a Chile outfit that have impressed in the tournament to date.
The game immediately took on a frenetic nature as Paulinho and Vincent Aboubakar had goal-bound efforts blocked at either end.
It was Cameroon's susceptible backline that was first to be breached when Neymar, inexplicably unmarked, cleverly turned home Luiz Gustavo's low cross from the left.
Brazil's golden boy came agonisingly close to a second soon after, Charles Itandje producing a fine save to keep out his fizzing volley.
Despite their defence appearing increasingly hapless, Cameroon looked dangerous at the other end and fired a warning shot as Matip's header rattled the crossbar.
Not heeding the lesson proved costly for the hosts, too, as Matip side-footed Allan Nyom's cross into an empty net the next time he got an opportunity.
With Brazil seeking a response to increasing Cameroon pressure, Neymar again stepped up, albeit with the help of some more schoolboy defending; afforded far too much space once more, the Barcelona forward cut inside from the left and sent Itandje the wrong way.
While those in front of him wilted in the face of pressure, Itandje was at least attempting to provide a steadying influence, getting down quickly to turn away Hulk's speculative hit.
The goalkeeper had to be on high alert again after the interval, denying Hulk and Neymar in quick succession.
But he could do little as another Brazilian, this time Fred, was left free in the area, the under-pressure forward heading home David Luiz's pass.
Brazil opted for a more controlled approach thereafter, epitomised by their willingness to withdraw Neymar after 71 minutes.
Even then, the drama was not finished, with Mexico threatening to steal the group after scoring three quick goals against Croatia.
However, the impressive Fernandinho, who came on as a half-time replacement for Paulinho, settled any nerves with a cool finish following a fine move involving Oscar and Fred.
Man of the Match: Neymar Jr (BRA)
Live Commentary
FULL TIME - Cameroon 1-4 Brazil: The Selecao secure their place at the top of Group A and set up a date with Chile in the round of 16! Neymar gave the hosts an early lead but there were nerves after Joel Matip equalised. However, Neymar popped up with his second and Fred and Fernandinho rounded off the scoring in the second half! Cameroon crash out bottom of the pile with zero points.
90` + 4` There is the final whistle! Brazil win Group A!
90` + 2` CHANCE! Willian is the man over on the left side of the box and he has the ball put at his feet. He shapes to bend a shot inside the far post but he sends it too close to Itandje, who dives down and smothers it comfortably.
90` There will be four minutes of time added on!
89` The Indomitable Lione just weren't able to keep up their level of performance from the first half after the break. Defensively they have been fairly poor throughout, but they looked much more dangerous in terms of attacking intent in the first period. It's been a campaign to forget for them.
87` Cameroon send a free kick miles over the bar, and Croatia have pulled one back against Mexico. Top spot looks nailed on for Brazil now!
86` With Mexico currently 3-0 up against Croatia, one more would have put them ahead of Brazil on goal difference and thus meant the Selecao would face Netherlands in the next round.
84` Assist Oscar
84` Goal Fernandinho
GOOOOOOAAALL! BRAZIL GO 4-1 UP! A lovely move at the end of the game to wrap up the points and help ensure top spot for the Selecao. M'Bia is caught on the ball by Oscar and it falls to Fernandinho. He lays it off and continues his run before receiving a pass from the Chelsea man and stabbing a finish past Itandje and into the far corner!
82` Alves steps up to take the free kick and slams it into the side of the wall. A deflection takes it out for a corner which is only half dealt with. The ball falls to Marcelo but his strike from 20 yards is blocked by a green shirt.
81` Substitution: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting out, Jean II Makoun in.
80` Yellow Card Stéphane M'Bia
80` Luiz Gustavo strides up through the midfield with the ball and is caught by M'Bia as he goes to release it. The referee instantly blows his whistle and shows the Cameroonian a yellow card.
79` Cameroon are becoming increasingly exposed here. There is plenty of space for Marcelo on the left back and his cutback finds Fred but is deflected wide of the far post.
77` An important clearance from N'Koulou stops Marcelo's cross from the left from finding Fred in the centre of the box. Brazil cannot sit back despite their two-goal lead, as one more strike for Cameroon would set up a very tense ending.
75` Yellow Card Edgar Salli
75` Alves trots back onto the field eventually and will be fine to complete the end of the game. Hopefully the final 15 minutes don't continue in the same vein!
74` The play has become rather broken up now, with a couple of players going down and requiring treatment. Dani Alves is the latest to take a knock after a coming together with M'Bia when attempting to clear the ball.
72` Substitution: Vincent Aboubakar out, Pierre Achille Webo in.
72` It is Neymar's last act of the game as he is replaced by Willian for the closing stages. Scolari probably just looking to protect his star player, who has been a cut above tonight.
71` Substitution: Neymar out, Willian in.
70` Neymar's rough treatment continues as he is clipped by M'Bia when attempting to initiate a counterattack. There wasn't too much in it, but the players are using this as a chance to take on some fluids.
69` Neymar skips away from his marker 30 yards out but is taken to ground. The referee sees nothing in it and allows play to continue, so Oscar tries to send it back into the middle. It's a poor attempt, though, and is cut out by the first man.
67` Brazil win the ball in their own half and move it up the field quickly with a couple of slick passes. It comes to Ramires on the right and he attempts to find Neymar with a low ball towards the far side. Itandje comes out and clears the danger, but the Barcelona man was offside anyway.
65` A woeful effort from N'Guemo! He has space to shoot from the far side of the box but he makes an absolute hash of his effort and puts it out closer to the corner flag!
63` Substitution: Hulk out, Ramires in.
63` Luiz Gustavo almost gifts Cameroon a second as he dallies on the ball as the last man in his own half. Fortunately for him Julio Cesar rushes out to kick the ball away, but the Wolfsburg man gets an earful from Thiago Silva!
62` Scolari has Ramires readied on the touchline and is currently giving him his instructions. He will be introduced shortly, possibly for Hulk, who he replaced for the encounter with Mexico.
60` A long pass up from the back looks sure to find Neymar in space but the bounce takes the ball away from him and Itandje is able to beat him to it just inside his area.
59` The tempo of the game has been slowly dropping off since that third goal. Brazil remain in control, though, with Cameroon not posing the same sort of threat as they did in the first half.
58` Substitution: B. Moukandjo out, Edgar Salli in.
57` Hulk looks to make a run in behind the defence and is picked out with a ball over the top. Matip sticks close to him, though, and when the Brazilian shifts possession onto his left foot in order to shoot, the centre-back is perfectly placed to block his effort.
55` There is a slight break in play as Bedimo goes down following a rather strong challenge. He should be OK to continue, though, and indeed he trots back onto the pitch fairly quickly.
53` Things aren't quite clicking for Oscar tonight. He hasn't seen an awful lot of the ball tonight and when he has his end product has been found wanting.
51` Neymar is loving it out there! He takes his marker out the game with his first touch and then backheels it into the path of Oscar. The Chelsea man sends a cross to the back post but it is intercepted by Bedimo who manages to deal with it despite pressure from Hulk.
49` Assist David Luiz
49` Goal Fred
GOOOOOOOOAAAL!! BRAZIL HAVE A THIRD! They've started this half in an electric fashion again! Cameroon fail to clear the ball and Fernandinho pushes it out wide to David Luiz. The centre-back takes a touch before putting the ball over to the back post for Fred to head into the net!
48`Fernandinho has come for Paulinho and almost has a positive impact in just two minutes as his searing effort looks to be heading for the far corner. Itandje knocks it out for a corner, though.
48` Penalty claim for Brazil! Hulk is played in behind the defence but is tackled at the last by the Cameroon defence. Moments ago he kicked the ball out for a goal kick with his standing foot when trying to cross. It's not quite his night!
46` Substitution: Paulinho out, Fernandinho in.
46` Second half starts.
HALF TIME - Cameroon 1-2 Brazil: In an entertaining half of football the Selecao take a narrow lead thanks to a double from Neymar. After his opener Matip tied the game and silenced the stadium, but the Barcelona man netted his second with a clever finish from the top of the box. With the game between Croatia and Mexico currently at 0-0, the hosts are on course to finish top of their group! Join me in 15 minutes to see if they can finalise it!
45` + 1` We are into the first, and only, minute of additional time.
45` David Luiz concedes a rash free kick and it gives Cameroon the chance to put it in the box. Moukandjo flights the ball in but the Indomitable Lions are unable to forge a shooting chance from it and when the ball drops, Brazil clear it away.
43` David Luiz carries the ball up from the back, skipping past his marker on his way to the box. He looks for a one-two but his pass goes straight to N'Koulou who then sends Cameroon back towards the other end.
42` Cameroon have looked a different team to the one which competed their first two games in the tournament. Despite being out already, they have shown plenty of desire in the midfield and have been willing to attack Brazil at every opportunity.
40` STAT: Before today Cameroon had had 30 attempts at goal in this World Cup, but only hit the target with three of them!
38` It was important that Brazil got that goal before half time. Going in level at the break would not have been anything near what they would have wanted, but know there should be a positive atmosphere around the dressing room. That is if they can keep it this way until the 45th minute of course!
36` HULK! The Zenit man sends a trademark thunderbolt effort towards goal and Itandje, not willing to risk leaving it to go behind, makes sure by palming it around the post for a corner.
34` Assist Marcelo
34` Goal Neymar
GOOOOOOOAAAAAL!! NEYMAR HAS HIS SECOND! A long ball is intercepted by Cameroon but it falls to Marcelo who instantly passes into Neymar. He runs at the defence before cutting onto his right and sliding a shot between the legs of N'Koulou and back into near corner from the centre of the box!
33` CLOSE! Moukandjo's corner bounces out to Nyom on the corner of the box and the far side and he attempts to help it back across goal with a calm attempt. David Luiz gets his head to it and diverts it wide, though.
32` Brazil look to break with Neymar through the middle and as he glides into the Cameroon half he cuts across M'Bia to draw a foul. The referee obliges with a free kick, but Neymar rushes it and hands possession straight back to the African outfit.
30` Hulk gives away possession on the far side and Choupo-Moting comes away with it. He rolls a pass out to the overlapping Bedimo who sends a cross towards Aboubakar, however play is pulled back for an offside decision against the Cameroon left-back.
28` Well this wasn't in the script for Scolari! Cameroon have their first goal of the tournament! Neymar is coming in for some rough treatment but seems unperturbed. He attempts a one-two on the edge of the box with Fred but the return pass is too heavy and runs out of play.
26` Assist Allan Nyom
26` Goal Joel Matip
26` GOOOOOOOOAL! CAMEROON ARE LEVEL! Nyom attempts to trick his way past Alves on the right but his initial cross is blocked. The ball ricochets kindly back to his feet, though, and this time he picks out Matip in the middle who slots into an open goal from inside the six-yard box!
26` OFF THE WOODWORK! Moukandjo whips a corner in from the right towards the head of Matip and he connects with a powerful header that rattles the frame of the goal! So close to an equaliser.
24` Hulk has been impressive down the right flank in the opening half and his cross into the box isn't dealt with by Itandje. For a moment it is loose but no Selecao player is running in for the follow-up and the chance is lost.
22` David Luiz showing his tendency to dive in there! The centre-back steps up too quickly and is beaten by the swift feet of Aboubakar. The Cameroonian advances into the area but is eventually crowded out by yellow shirts with little support from his team-mates.
21` ANOTHER CHANCE! Paulinho's cross finds a tumbling Fred in the centre of the box but he is unable to connect cleanly with the ball. It looks to be trickling into the back of the net but Itandje manages to get his hands on it and keep it out. In the aftermath it looks like the referee may have awarded a free kick.
20` GOOD SAVE FROM ITANDJE! A cross into the box is only half-cleared by Cameroon and Neymar catches it on the volley from 18 yards as it drops back to earth. He sends it straight down the middle, though, and Itandje manages to push the ball back out of the danger area.
19` STAT: That goal now means that Cameroon have kept just one clean sheet in their last 19 World Cup games. Not a recipe for progression!
17` Assist Luiz Gustavo
17` Goal Neymar
GOOOOOOOOOAAAL!! BRAZIL TAKE THE LEAD! Cameroon get caught on the ball in their own half with Luiz Gustavo winning the ball. He pushes up on the left and rolls a low cross into the centre for Neymar, who gets between the two centre-backs and places a cool first-time finish into the bottom corner.
15` A moment of madness from Nyom! The right-back and Neymar are chasing a ball that is clearly heading off the pitch, but as he goes to retrieve it he shoves the Brazilian to ground. There was no need for it and the referee wants the word, but it doesn't look like there will be any card shown.
13` More good play from the Indomitable Lions! Aboubakar has seen plenty of the ball so far and once more he drops off the front in an attempt to link the play. Upon receiving the ball he turns and slides a pass down the left-hand channel for Choupo-Moting to run onto. He gets on the end of it but his cross into the middle is cut out by David Luiz who hoofs away the danger.
11` Yellow Card Eyong Enoh
11` Cameroon now having a decent spell in possession, passing it around well in the final third. Bedimo dribbles inside from the left, skipping past a couple of opponents before feeding Moukandjo to his left. The forward lets fly at goal but once more the effort is blocked by a Brazilian shirt.
9` Important block from Marcelo! Cameroon break down the left and Choupo-Moting's cross is deflected to the feet of Aboubakar 20 yards from goal. The striker unleashes a thunderous strike but the Real Madrid left-back gets his body in the way and stops it from hitting the target.
8` Marcelo races down the left flank and latches onto a cross-field pass for the first time this afternoon. His first touch takes him close to the byeline but with Nyom sticking close he is unable to send it back into the middle and instead sends the ball behind for a goal kick.
6` Hulk again causes problems on the right, dancing his way in field before sliding a lovely reverse pass in behind the defence for Fred. The Fluminense striker attempts to fire a shot across goal but his effort is blocked and the ball goes out for a corner, which Itandje claims unchallenged.
5` Paulinho wins the ball in midfield but his attempted pass back to Julio Cesar hits David Luiz in the midriff. Aboubakar pounces on the lost ball but is unable to break down the pitch and threaten, with Paulinho recovering quickly to make the challenge.
3` WHAT A START THIS IS! Neymar is picked out with a long ball over the top but his first touch enables the Cameroon defence to get back in place. Still, he slots a brilliant through-ball up to Hulk who then cuts a pass back from the byeline but Luiz Gustavo's shot at goal is blocked. Great football from Brazil early on.
2` Neymar whips it in but his delivery is a little too high for David Luiz who is unable to connect with a header.
1` Brazil start in rapid fashion with Hulk racing around the outside of Bedimo on the first side. As he gets in front of the Cameroonian, though, he is tugged to ground from behind and the referee spots the foul. Brazil have a gree kick in a dangerous area already, here.
1` The match is underway in Brasilia!
Never fails to get the goosebumps going as they sing the full version of the anthem a cappella in the stadium! Kick off is now just a few moments away!
Cameroon's anthem comes first. Just a warm up for the main event for what will surely be another belting rendition of the Brazilian national anthem from the players and fans alike.
The teams are making their way out onto the pitch to the FIFA anthem, and the national anthems will follow shortly. There is sure to be a blistering atmosphere inside the stadium when the teams emerge, one that will surely carry throughout the game!
Brazil and Cameroon were drawn in the same group for the World Cup in 1994. The Selecao ran out 3-0 winners when they met in San Francisco and there can be no doubt that all of the South American nation would be delighted with a similar result this evening.
Brazil (4-2-3-1): Julio Cesar; Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Marcelo; Luiz Gustavo, Paulinho; Hulk, Oscar, Neymar; Fred.
Cameroon (4-3-3): Itandje; Nyom, N'Koulou, Matip, Bedimo; M'Bia, N'Guemo, Enoh; Choupo-Moting, Aboubakar, Moukandjo.
Luiz Felipe Scolari has no such worries himself. In fact, with Hulk returning to fitness the Selecao coach has reverted to the starting XI that opened the tournament with a win over Croatia. The Zenit forward, along with Fred and Paulinho, have come in for criticism following their recent performances but Felipao is sending a message by remaining loyal to his favoured side. Will it pay dividends this afternoon? Full line-ups on the way.
Volker Finke is also unable to call upon Alex Song for this encounter as the Barcelona midfielder serves a suspension. Following his on-field attack on team-mate Ben Moukandjo, Benoit Assou-Ekotto has been dropped and so Henri Bedimo starts on the left side of defence.
Brazil are by no means through to the next round just yet though. Defeat today and a draw in the simultaneous game between Croatia and Mexico would see them crash out at the group stages. In four meetings with the Indomitable Lions, though, they have won three and only lost once. That defeat came in the 2003 Confederations Cup as Samuel Eto'o scored the only goal of the game. The veteran striker is not fit enough to start today, though.
Commentary & Report: Goal dot Com
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