Testing time for Brazil

Chennai: The 21st edition of the World Cup is proving to be strange for perennial title favourites such as Argentina, Brazil, Germany and Spain. None of them could book a place in the last 16 before their final group match in Russia. Spain survived a scare against Morocco on Monday to top Group B.

Unlike Argentina and Germany, Brazil have not suffered a defeat in the first two rounds but the five-time champions head into their final league match against Serbia at the Spartak Stadium on Wednesday with the danger of an early flight home being a reality.

At the outset, Tite’s Brazil look home and hosed as they only need a draw to seal their place in the next round. But a must-win match gives the team a clear-cut target than the nebulous a-point-is-enough scenario. A football match is seldom designed for a draw.

Brazil’s campaign will be kaput if they fall to Serbia and Costa Rica fail to beat Switzerland in the other match of the group. The shrewd Tite would not send his team out to share the spoils with opponents who desperately need a win to advance. Serbia would certainly offer space to Brazil in their own quest to pocket three points.

Brazil’s talisman Neymar hasn’t certainly set the Russian pitches afire in two matches. The forward has only succeeded in frustrating fans back home through his propensity to go down too often — like a bicycle pedal. His fitness also remains suspect after being sidelined for three months with a foot injury in the run-up to the World Cup.

Philippe Coutinho, who filled in Neymar’s place in Barcelona after a bumper transfer deal from Liverpool last year, is now the new kid on the block for Brazil. After opening Selecao’s account in a 1-1 draw against Switzerland with a sensational strike, the dynamic player calmed his team’s frayed nerves by securing a late, late lead against Costa Rica in the next round.

Worryingly for Brazil, Neymar, Coutinho and Casemiro, their three most important players, are all on a yellow and another caution against Serbia will rule them out of the round of 16. Serbia, on the other hand, must forget about the political fallout of their loss against the Swiss and focus on a game in which 22 players kick a ball around.