Brazil and South Korea are on a collision course, as they will be meeting this Monday in a Round of 16 clash. Will Korea score a titanic upset to advance to the quarterfinals? Or will Brazil flex their muscles and send the Koreans home? Check out our preview of this Brazil vs. South Korea Round of 16 match in the 2022 World Cup.
Brazil are always a team to watch out for in any given tournament, especially in the World Cup where they have a strong history. Neymar and company, however, are coming off a stunning 1-0 upset loss to Ghana in their final game of group play. Fortunately, while that setback prevented Brazil from keeping a clean slate into the knockout stages, it at least did not ultimately cost them a spot in the Round of 16. Brazil also looked good overall in that game despite the loss, as they had 65% of the possession and had seven shots on target to just three by Cameroon. Brazil haven’t lost the possession battle in any game so far in the tournament and are still third overall in the 2022 World Cup with a 5,0 expected goal mark. Among all teams that made it to the Round of 16, Brazil have the most shots on goal with 21.
South Korea have been one of the best stories of the 2022 World Cup. After failing to get out of group play in 2018, the Koreans are headed to the Round of 16, thanks to a 1-1-1 record after three matches. They are coming off a 2-1 upset win over Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal on Friday to claim a ticket to the next portion of the tourney. Korea are relying on their attack to carry its form into the Brazil game. The Brazilians have a stout defense, but the Koreans can be a threat with the ball. For one, they have scored two goals in each of their last two games. The best could be yet to come even for South Korea’s offense, as superstar Son Heung-min is still looking for his first goal of the tournament. He could be on the verge of having a huge performance against Brazil.
