FIFA World Cup: Casemiro’s goal against Switzerland takes Brazil into last 16 with a game to spare
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Brazil’s Casemiro celebrates after scoring his side’s opening goal during the World Cup group G soccer match between Brazil and Switzerland, at the Stadium 974 in Doha, Qatar, Monday, Nov. 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Somehow, almost inevitably, the Brazilian goal had to come from the boot of Casemiro, the tireless defensive midfielder than the gilded but Neymar-less frontline. To understand the cult following of Casemiro, one just needs to tune in one’s ears — no, the noise will hit you even if you don’t squeeze your ears — when he gets the ball at his feet. The mass of green and yellow begins to chant his name, in rhythmic loudness, they bang their feet on the floor, sometimes so hard that the 974 Stadium, built off containers from ships, could feel an earthquake-like vibration. The beat of drums gets heavier; the music would get louder. The glass barricade risks breaking due to the vibrations.
Even before he scored Brazil’s match-defining goal, a goal of brutal beauty, similar to the ones he has scored for his ex-club Real Madrid and Brazil, he was the most valuable player on the pitch. Sometimes, it takes the profligacy of the forwards to appreciate the value of a midfielder in an attack-oriented team as Brazil. They tend to go unnoticed otherwise.
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But not today. Casemiro might not be the captain, but he is the de facto captain, shouting at his teammates to keep their focus, yelling at them to keep their composure, chiding when they are inclined too often to the flashy stuff. He was livid at Vinicius Junior for not timing his run smartly enough to beat the off-side trap, which saw a goal chalked off in the 64th minute. (READ MORE)
