World Cup: Brazil and South Korea battle for a spot in the Quarterfinals

Topics: FIFA World Cup, Brazil, Korea Republic, TV Schedules, TV Listings, Streaming Info

The Selecao return to the Round of 16 once again as the massive favorite, but can Son Heung-Min and Co. shock the world?

Brazil and Korea Republic continue with the Round of 16 action in the FIFA World Cup this Monday, when both sides lock horns at Stadium 974.

Brazil was expected to make it to this stage and even further, as they have been earmarked as favorites to win the title. Their Round of 16 game against South Korea will be interesting to watch since it will be a clash against a team that seemed to be destined to leave the tournament after just three games, and their presence here confirms that they have nothing to lose and a big chance to make history here.

Just like it has been with most teams in this World Cup, Brazil have made it to the Round of 16 by leading their group, but they failed to reach this stage with a perfect record, something that had not happened to them since the 1998 World Cup. The team defeated both Serbia (2-0) and Switzerland (1-0), but went on to lose against Cameroon in their final match in Group G. Now, A Canarinha will want to continue their good form in Round of 16 games, where they have not been defeated since their one-nil loss to Argentina in 1990.

As for South Korea, the Asian side make it to this game after finishing second in Group H, where they beat Uruguay to the runner-up spot. The Taeguk Warriors defeated Portugal and claimed a key point against La Celeste, making their loss to Ghana merely an anecdote. The Asian side returns to this stage of a World Cup after being eliminated in the Group Stage of the 2014 and 2018 editions.

Brazil have made it past this stage in eight of their nine appearances in this round, while South Korea has only made it to the KO stage of the World Cup in three of their eleven appearances in the competition. Will tradition beat drive in this tie between the South Americans and the AFC powerhouse? Here is a closer look at some key facts from this tie.

Brazil vs Korea Republic - Team news

Brazil make it to this game with several injury concerns, starting with Neymar and Danilo, who have allegedly been cleared to play this game despite picking up a couple of ankle injuries during their opening match against Serbia. Added to those doubts, Tite has confirmed that Gabriel Jesús and Alex Telles are out of the World Cup after being diagnosed with knee injuries. The rest of the players called up by Brazil are fit to play against the Asian side, including Richarlison and Alisson Becker, two players that were rested by Tite during the last group stage game.

On the other hand, the South Korean side make it to this game in high spirits on the back of their key players, namely Son Heung-Min, who delivered the key assists for the Taeguk Warriors in their match against Portugal. One more player to keep an eye on will certainly be Cho Gue-Sung and Hwang Hee-Chan, two of the footballers who contributed to their run in the competition with crucial goals. Luckily for coach Paulo Bento, all these players are fit to play, as the team has not confirmed any injury absences so far.

Brazil vs Korea Republic - Head-to-head

This will be the first FIFA World Cup game between Brazil and South Korea.
These teams have played seven friendly matches previously. The record between these teams shows six wins for Brazil and only one for South Korea.
Brazil are currently on a four-game winning streak against South Korea.
South Korea's only win against Brazil came on March 28, 1999. That game ended in a one-nil win for the Taeguk Warriors.
The last game between these teams took place in June 2022. The game concluded with a 5-1 score for Brazil, who took the win home thanks to a brace by Neymar and goals by Richarlison, Philippe Coutinho, and Gabriel Jesus. Korea Republic's goal was scored by Hwang Ui-Jo.
Tite will coach Brazil against South Korea. So far, the Brazilian boss' record shows two wins and no losses.
South Korea's coach Paulo Bento will face Brazil for a fourth time. His record shows no wins and three losses, with his teams conceding eleven goals and only being able to score twice.