Brazil vs Costa Rica
Brazil, ranked second in world football and favourites to win FIFA 2018, could only manage a 1-1 draw against Switzerland in the opening game. Now, they have to show that it was a mere blip and that they are still the giants we all know.
Costa Rica should be a winnable game for the Brazilians. Los Ticos are not even in the top ten of the best footballing nation to start with. But as what we have learned in the Switzerland match, we should at least wait until a ball is kicked before making any prediction.
After all, it’s hard to know which version of Brazil we’ll get to see at Saint Petersburg Stadium this Friday.
Talking Points
Brazil have the squad and quality to become world champions; there’s no doubt about that. The question is: do they have the desire to become one?
If we will base our response on their uninspiring performance in the opener, then the answer is no.
Indeed, Brazil never found their rhythm in the match. It didn’t help that Neymar was harassed all game long, leaving them with few chances to score. Unfortunately, that’s not the only issue.
Put simply, Brazil lacked the sense of urgency expected from them. They were supposed to make a statement against Switzerland and show the whole world that they are a different Brazil side from four years ago, that they are no longer the one-man team that we all know.
Nonetheless, in the face of huge pressure, they faltered. And save for a late show of intensity, the Brazil we saw were far from the team that wreaked havoc in the South America qualifiers with 41 goals and a plus-30 goal differential.
Coach Tite won’t be overthinking things for sure, but he and his Selecao know that only a win will do this time around. They need to change things and return the narrative to its original storyline, and they need to do it now.
In another stroke of bad luck though, things are not shaping up well for them after their star man Neymar limped off due to injury during a training session.
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According to the latest FIFA 2018 news, the Paris Saint-Germain striker felt a pain in his foot, though it is not related to the injury that he suffered last February.
“Neymar left the training session with some pain in his right ankle because of the number of fouls he suffered in the game against Switzerland,” Brazil spokesman Vinicius Rodrigues said. “Since today was only a recovery session for the starters, and he complained about pain, he ended going to rehabilitation.”
It remains to be seen if Neymar will be fit in time for the Costa Rica match and whether he will start the game or not. But an injury scare this early in the campaign is undoubtedly not a good thing for Brazil’s World Cup aspirations.
Costa Rica, on the other hand, will embrace every opportunity they will be given following their loss to Serbia. They are the only team in Group E not to score a goal, and they know offence is the primary issue they need to address.
Los Ticos also need to buckle up defensively if they are to hold their ground against Brazil, with or without Neymar. They have the second-oldest squad in the tournament, so hopes are high that the accumulated level of experience can help them pull off a draw at the least.
History
As if we (and you) need any reminding, Brazil are by far the better team compared to Costa Rica. The Brazilians hold a 9-1 win-loss record against the Costa Ricans, their only defeat coming from a friendly in 1960—yup, that was 58 years ago!
Brazil won 1-0 in their last meeting with Costa Rica in 2015. Additionally, in their two previous encounters in the World Cup (2002 and 1990), the Selecao hit a combined six goals to Los Ticos’ two.
Costa Rica will find some silver lining from the fact that they know how to defeat a South American side, having beaten a strong Uruguay squad 3-1 in the 2014 instalment of the competition.
What are the odds?
As usual, Brazil are the overwhelming favourites in our FIFA 2018 betting odds. They are tipped with 1X2 @ 1.20 while Costa Rica are at 13.00.
Moreover, the difference is more telling at SBOBET Asian Handicap sports betting. The Brazilians are given a -1.55 handicap that pays at 1.72, with Costa Rica at 2.26 for that start.
However, it should be remembered that Brazil were also predicted to win against Switzerland easily, and we all know what happened.
With that said, the match could end up a low-scoring affair as well, with Under 2.75 goals paying at 1.87.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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