Brazil won Group G on goal difference, while Paul Bento’s South Korea upset Portugal on the final day of Group H to finish second and advance to the knockout stages.
A much-changed Brazil had plenty of chances to score in their final Group G match against Cameroon, but goalkeeper Davis Epasia and bench player Tite denied them.
Vincent Aboubakar gave the Indomitable Lions an unforgettable victory in the 92nd minute. Abubakar was sent off for celebrating after getting booked, even though Cameroon had already left. Brazil won the group by defeating Switzerland. Brazil’s nine-game winning streak has ended. Even their narrow wins over Serbia and Switzerland did not show the ruthlessness in attack that made them World Cup favorites.
The Asian side will look to cause another upset at the 2022 World Cup when they face the five-time champions in the final at the 974 Stadium on Monday.
The five-time champions got off to a slow start in Qatar. If they want to stay favorites, they need to score in the first half. Selecao reached the knockout stage for the ninth time in a row.Claudio Caniga’s goal against Argentina in the Round of 16 eliminated Brazil 32 years ago.
South Korea defeated 2016 European champions Portugal on Friday afternoon to set up a historic World Cup quarterfinal in Asia.
Kim Young-gwon equalized before halftime, and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Hwang Hee-chan timed his run to score the third and final goal in that 2-1 victory. After the match, the participants watched Uruguay’s 2:0 victory over Ghana, which was not enough to qualify for the round of 16.
Uruguay and Portugal, although significantly changed, failed to upset South Korea, which could meet Japan in the quarterfinals. Their counterparts from Asia face a challenging round-of-16 match against Croatia on Monday. In June, the Asian Tigers lost 5-1 to Brazil in the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup, despite controversy with the referees.
