Only 1 Goal from 17 Shots... Brazil's 'Cost-Effectiveness' Criticized Even at Home

"Most Inefficient Among Teams Advancing to Round of 16"
France, England, and Spain Show High Efficiency
Korea Records 12 Shots on Target, Total 4 Goals

Neymar, the centerpiece of the Brazil national football team (Paris Saint-Germain), complained of pain in his right ankle after colliding with Serbian defender Nikola Milenkovic during the first group stage match of Group G at the 2022 FIFA World Cup held at Lusail Stadium in Qatar on the 24th of last month (local time).

One day before the decisive match against the South Korean national football team, the Brazilian national team is showing the worst 'cost-effectiveness' in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, according to local media. They have the lowest goal-to-shot ratio.

On the 4th (local time), Brazilian media Globo analyzed that "among the teams that advanced to the round of 16, Brazil is the least efficient."

According to Globo's own tally, Brazil recorded 51 shots in the group stage, taking 17 shots to score one goal.

Although there is a slight difference from FIFA statistics (52 shots), the conclusion remains the same.

Official statistics also show that Brazil scores one goal every approximately 17.3 shots, the lowest among the teams that advanced to the round of 16.

The country with the next lowest efficiency is the United States (one goal every 14 shots), which ended its World Cup schedule after losing 1-3 to the Netherlands on the same day.

Expanding the comparison to all 32 participating countries, Brazil ranks 25th from the bottom.

Denmark and Belgium each managed only one goal despite 35 and 34 shots respectively, showing the worst figures.

On the other hand, France, also considered a favorite to win, took 52 shots but scored 6 goals, twice as many as Brazil.

England and Spain each produced 9 goals from 38 shots, demonstrating high scoring efficiency.

The situation is no different when looking at goals per shots on target. Brazil scored one goal every 7 shots on target, which is also the worst among the round of 16 teams.

The South Korean team, led by Bento, scored 4 goals from 39 shots. With 12 shots on target, they scored once every three attempts.

Additionally, Globo pointed out that Brazil failed to score in the first half.

In the second match against Switzerland, Casemiro (Manchester United) scored the winning goal only at the 83rd minute of the second half.

In the first match against Serbia, it was only in the second half that Son Heung-min’s teammate Richarlison (Tottenham) scored multiple goals.

For Brazil, the participation of star striker Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain) becomes crucial, as he has the best shot production ability.

Currently, Rodrygo (Real Madrid) leads the team with 6 shots, but Neymar, who has played only one match due to an ankle injury, took 4 shots.

In the domestic friendly match in June where Neymar played 78 minutes, Bento’s team suffered a heavy 1-5 defeat.

Neymar, who scored multiple goals from penalties, troubled the defense with various individual skills such as dribbling breakthroughs, ball keeping, and one-two passes.

Captain Thiago Silva (Chelsea) said at the round of 16 press conference on the 4th, "Neymar will play. That alone should be enough to say."

However, coach Tite remains cautious. He said he will decide Neymar’s participation after the final official training session.

Meanwhile, according to FIFA’s compiled data, Brazil’s goal-to-shot ratio is also low. According to this data, South Korea attempted the 7th most shots (39) among the 32 teams in the group stage.

Out of 39 shots, South Korea had 12 shots on target and scored 4 goals. This means they attempted 3.0 shots on target per goal, ranking joint 15th with Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Saudi Arabia, a mid-level figure. In contrast, Brazil scored one goal every 7.0 shots on target.

The match between Bento’s team and Brazil will take place at 4 a.m. on the 6th at the 974 Stadium in Doha.