Brazil manager Tite applauded his team’s attacking flair after a sparkling 4-1 victory over South Korea in their World Cup round of 16 match on Tuesday.
Vinicius Junior put Brazil ahead with a cool finish, and Neymar doubled the lead from the penalty spot at Stadium 974. Richarlison and Lucas Paqueta extended the advantage before substitute Paik Seung-ho pulled a late goal back for South Korea.
“It’s the offensive boldness of this team and the way we play collectively that is impressive,” Tite told reporters. “This batch of players is the result of a lot of work from many people, starting at the grassroots level.
“Another feature is that we have a balanced team, both defensively and offensively. The players realize that this balance is what we need in a tournament like this.”
The victory means Brazil will meet Croatia at Education City stadium in the quarterfinals on Friday (December 9). Tite also commented on his celebratory dance with Richarlison and Brazil’s bench after the Tottenham forward’s 29th-minute strike.
“I asked him [before the match], ‘What is that dance? If you show me, I’ll do it’,” Tite said. “But I have to be very careful. There might be people who say it was disrespectful. I knew there would be a camera there and I didn’t want it to be misinterpreted. I would never disrespect the opponent or [South Korea manager] Paulo Bento.”
Meanwhile, forward Neymar dedicated Brazil’s win to ailing legendary Pele.
Pele, who won the World Cup three times for Brazil, is currently in hospital as he recovers from a respiratory infection and continues treatment for colon cancer.
Brazil’s players posed for a photograph holding a banner with the 82-year-old’s image and name after the final whistle at Stadium 974.
“It’s tough to talk about Pele with what he is going through,” Neymar told reporters. “We wish he can get well soon. We hope we made him feel a bit more comfortable with the banner and with the victory.”
Neymar’s first-half penalty means the 30-year-old now has 76 international goals, one shy of Pele’s Brazil scoring record.
The Paris Saint-Germain player said he felt no ill effects of an ankle problem that forced him to miss Brazil’s previous two matches against Switzerland and Cameroon.
“I didn’t feel any pain in my ankle,” he said. “I want to thank the medical staff and the physiotherapists for helping me to be fit for this match.
“I think I played well. I’m very happy with how the night went but, having said that, I think we can always improve. I can’t be 100% satisfied, we can always get better.”
He added: “We wanted to win the match to reach the next round and that’s what happened. The fans celebrated wonderfully inside the stadium and we have to congratulate them.”
