Who will Brazil face in the World Cup second round? | OneFootball

Brazil awaits the Netherlands, Japan, or Sweden

The Brazil National Team secured first place in Group C with a 3-0 win over Scotland this Wednesday (24). As a result, the five-time world champion is waiting for the runner-up from Group F to find out its knockout-stage opponent. From that group, the possible opponents are the Netherlands, Japan, or Sweden. The final decision will come this Thursday (25). 

At the moment, the Netherlands lead the group with four points and will face already-eliminated Tunisia starting at 8 p.m. (Brasília time). At the same time, Japan and Sweden will face each other. Therefore, the most likely scenario is that Brazil’s next opponent will come from that match.

Netherlands – 4 points (goal difference 4)Japan – 4 points (goal difference 4)Sweden – 3 points (goal difference 0)Tunisia – 0 points

WHAT DID BRAZIL NEED TO FINISH FIRST?

Brazil took the field with four points, level with Morocco. Therefore, only a win mattered for Carlo Ancelotti’s team, since the Africans beat Haiti 4-2. That way, the five-time world champion went all out against Scotland.

With a true show from Vini Jr, Brazil went up 2-0 in the first half. In the second half, Matheus Cunha, in a play that involved the red-and-black players Danilo and Lucas Paquetá, sealed the scoreline. Also in the match, Alex Sandro got some minutes in the second half. 

WHAT WAS THE ARTICLE AUTHOR’S OPINION BEFORE THE MATCH?

— Finishing second would put Brazil on what is considered the tougher side of the bracket. On that path are teams such as Germany, Spain, France, and Portugal, increasing the level of difficulty on the road to the decisive rounds. That is why the match against Scotland carried weight not only because of qualification, but also because of the chance to secure a theoretically easier path in the hunt for the world title — said Pedro Paulo Catonho, journalist for Coluna do Fla.

WHAT IS THE ARTICLE AUTHOR’S OPINION AFTER THE MATCH?

— Brazil played its best match at the World Cup so far. The defensive system was never really troubled, and from midfield forward the team is playing for Vini Jr, the best player on our national team. This Wednesday’s performance gives confidence to Carlo Ancelotti’s team, which is becoming more battle-hardened for the knockout stage — the journalist began.

— Of the three possible opponents, it is hard to choose. The Netherlands are the best of the three and probably will not cross our path, as they should confirm first place. Between Japan and Sweden, it will be a tough challenge either way. The Asians have a very well-organized team. The Europeans, meanwhile, have the goals of top scorer Viktor Gyökeres, the English champion with Arsenal — he concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.