Brazil 2-0 Ecuador: 5 talking points as Richarlison and Neymar continue Selecao's perfect start | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
Brazil continued their perfect start to their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win against Ecuador in Porto Alegre. Richarlison and Neymar scored for the reigning Copa America champions, who returned to the top of the table with the victory.
Tite's side were underwhelming in the first half, struggling to carve out chances and misplacing a lot of their passes. But a few tactical changes after the break saw Brazil rediscover their rhythm, with Richarlison finding the breakthrough following a neat one-two with Neymar.
The PSG star then doubled Brazil's lead from the spot in injury time, scoring his 65th goal for A Selecao to rubberstamp his team's win.
With five wins from as many games, Brazil are the only team to have a 100% record in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers, leading Argentina by four points. Brazil will next be up against Paraguay on Tuesday, while Ecuador will host Peru.
Also Read: Fabrizio Romano’s Transfer Roundup: Update on Lionel Messi’s contract, Chelsea’s plan for the summer, and more.
On that note, let's have a look at the five major talking points from the game:
#1 Richarlison and Neymar link up to deadly effect
On paper, it seemed like Richarlison would play on the right, Neymar on the left, and Gabriel Barbosa through the middle. While the trident did not work in sync, the Selecao looked more dangerous when the Everton star attacked from the left and Neymar played behind him.
Neymar received the ball in the middle before laying it off for Richarlison, who cut inside but shot wide. One such move resulted in a goal, though; Neymar received the ball near the byline and fed Richarlison, who slalomed his way inside the area and fired into the net.
This partnership could prove vital for Brazil at the Copa America.
#2 Ecuador's attacking spirit goes missing against Brazil
Coming into this game, Ecuador had scored 13 goals in just four games, more than any other team in the CONMEBOL qualifiers so far. They scored four against Uruguay and six against Colombia in an emphatic win last year. But against Brazil, La Tri were subdued, and their attacking spark was missing.
As was expected, Brazil were in control for most of the match, dominating possession and pegging back the visitors with their high press. That left Ecuadorian attackers Enner Valencia and Angel Mena isolated upfront. Ecuador's counter-attacking game, too, was poor on the night.