First Break Since the Start of the Group Stage
On the afternoon of the 24th last month (local time), the first match of Group G in the 2022 Qatar World Cup group stage was held at Lusail Stadium in Qatar, between Brazil and Serbia. Brazil's Vinicius Junior is rushing toward the goal, facing a one-on-one duel with Serbian goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovi?-Savi?. On the 3rd, when the Taegeuk Warriors, who secured their place in the Round of 16 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, decided to take a day off, their opponent, the Brazil national football team, engaged in a closed training session.
According to the FIFA Media Hub site, which discloses training and match schedules of national teams, Brazil held a closed training session at 5 p.m. local time at Al-Arabi SC Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
The Brazil national team, ranked number 1 in the FIFA world rankings, played their third Group G match against Cameroon (ranked 43rd) at Lusail Stadium the previous day, losing 0-1 but maintaining first place in the group with 6 points.
The first place team in Group G will face the second place team in Group H, South Korea, in the Round of 16.
◆Brazil Team Doctor: "Injured Neymar and Sandro May Possibly Play"
After fielding a 1.5 squad and suffering a blow against Cameroon, Brazil is immediately preparing for the match against South Korea.
Players who have been sidelined due to injuries are expected to assess their physical condition during today's training.
Currently, Brazil's 'superstar' Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain) injured his right ankle during the first group match against Serbia and has not played since.
Defenders Danilo and Alex Sandro (both Juventus) missed the third match due to ankle and hip muscle injuries respectively, and Alex Telles (Sevilla) and Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal), who played against Cameroon, also complained of knee pain, resulting in multiple injuries.
There is keen interest in whether these players can return for the Round of 16, and Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar gave a positive outlook on some of them after the Cameroon match.
Dr. Lasmar said, "Neymar and Sandro have a possibility of recovering by the Round of 16. They have not yet trained with the ball. They are scheduled to train with the ball tomorrow (the 3rd), and their participation will depend on how they handle that."
Regarding Danilo, he said, "From the 3rd, he will be able to train normally with other players. If everything goes well, I think there is a very high chance he will play in the next match."
Telles and Jesus will undergo injury examinations today.
On the morning of the 3rd (Korean time) at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, the Group H third match of the 2022 Qatar World Cup between South Korea and Portugal took place. The South Korean national team, who secured a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory to confirm their advancement to the round of 16, including Hwang Hee-chan (second from the left) and Kim Min-jae (right), are smiling brightly in front of the Taegeukgi flag.
◆Bento's Team Takes Second Rest Since Opening Ceremony
After defeating European powerhouse Portugal 2-1 the previous day and advancing to the Round of 16 as second place in Group H (4 points), Bento's team decided to take a day off to catch their breath.
The South Korean national team, led by head coach Paulo Bento, arrived in Qatar on the 14th of last month and has been working hard since.
This is the second rest day for the team following the opening ceremony (November 20), and the first since the group stage matches began.
The Round of 16 match between Brazil and South Korea will be held at 4 a.m. Korea time on the 6th at Doha Stadium 974.
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