Brazil dance into quarters to meet Croatia

Doha, Dec. 7: Neymar returned from injury to help inspire Brazil to a 4-1 victory over South Korea on Monday as the favourites cruised through to the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

The world's most expensive player had sat out his team's last two matches with a sprained ankle suffered in their first game in Qatar, a 2-0 win over Serbia.

But he came back for this last-16 tie as Tite's team clicked into gear and delivered an ominous message to their rivals, at least before easing off in the second half.

Vinicius Junior opened the scoring inside seven minutes before Neymar added another from the penalty spot to move to 76 goals for his country.

His 13th minute goal from the penalty spot took Neymar to within one goal of Pele's record 77 strikes for Brazil.

But he admitted there had been moments after he was injured in Brazil's opening World Cup match against Serbia that he thought his tournament might be over.

"When I got injured I spent a very difficult night. I was thinking of a million different things," said Neymar, who added he had been "crying a lot".

Richarlison's brilliant goal made it 3-0 and Lucas Paqueta added another before half-time to leave South Korea shellshocked.

Paik Seung-ho pulled one back but by then Brazil were thinking about Friday's quarter-final clash with 2018 runners-up Croatia.

The five-time World Cup winners had not scored four goals in a knockout game at the tournament since 1998.

Here they played at times with the joy associated with the Brazilian national team, the players coming together to celebrate each goal by showing off their dance moves and their coach even joining in.

If they finished playing within themselves, their first-half display was superb and a fitting tribute to the great Pele.

Pele watches from hospital

With fans worldwide on edge over his health, ailing 82-year-old football legend Pele said Monday he was cheering for the Brazilian national team from hospital as they stormed to a spot in the World Cup quarter-finals.

Considered by many the greatest footballer of all time, Pele was hospitalized in Sao Paulo last Tuesday amid treatment for colon cancer, just as Brazil wage their campaign to win a record-extending sixth World Cup in Qatar.

In a message on Instagram as the "Selecao" prepared for their 4-1 romp over South Korea in the round of 16, Pele said he was watching.

"I'll be rooting for each one of you," Pele, the only player to win three World Cups (1958, 1962 and 1970), told the team.

"The King" posted a faded color picture of himself as a baby-faced 17-year-old in Stockholm, Sweden, on his way to dazzling the planet with his extraordinary talent in Brazil's maiden World Cup championship run.

Eight years earlier, seeing his footballer father cry when Brazil lost the 1950 World Cup final at home to Uruguay, Pele had promised to win the trophy one day.

"In 1958, in Sweden, I was walking through the streets thinking about fulfilling the promise I made to my father," Pele wrote.

"I know that many of the national team made similar promises and are also looking for their first World Cup. I want to inspire you, my friends... We are on this journey together. Good luck to our Brazil!"

Tributes to Pele

Neymar and team did him proud, scoring a cascade of goals that evoked the "beautiful game" Pele embodied.

After the match, the team returned to the field carrying a banner marked "Pele!", with a picture of him celebrating Brazil's 1970 World Cup win.

Fans in the stadium could also be seen holding up pictures and messages in Pele's honor.

"It's hard to talk about what Pele is going through, but I wish him all the best," Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar said after the match -- in which he converted a penalty, taking him to within one goal of Pele's all-time Brazil scoring record.

"I hope he'll get well as soon as possible, and that we at least brought him some comfort with the win and the banner we dedicated to him."

Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior, who scored Brazil's opening goal, also sent "a big hug to Pele."

"This win is for him," he said. "I hope we'll be champions for him."

Bento steps down 

Paulo Bento announced he would not be staying on as coach of South Korea after they were eliminated from the World Cup with a defeat at the hands of Brazil on Monday.

"Now I need to think about the future, but I will not be with the Korea team. I am going to rest and then see," the 53-year-old former Portugal coach said after the loss in the last 16.

"I have just told the players and the president of the national federation.

"This is a decision which I took in September. It was set in stone and today I confirmed it. I have to thank them and am very proud to have been their manager."

Son Heung-min apologised after his South Korean side exited the World Cup. "I can only apologise to our fans for not living up to their expectations," said the 30-year-old Tottenham forward, who played in a mask in Qatar following facial surgery last month.

"We did our best but I think we played a very difficult game," he told TV reporters. "Still, there is no doubt that all the players battled proudly, devoted themselves and worked hard to get this far.” (AFP)