Brazil fell to a surprise 1-0 defeat against Cameroon on Friday but still secured top spot in Group G.
Tite’s men had the upper hand for most of the game, but Vincent Aboubakar’s late header sealed Brazil’s first defeat of the winter. Fortunately, it didn’t matter in the end as Switzerland were unable to match their goal difference in their win over Serbia.
Brazil’s first real chance came from Gabriel Martinelli, who rose highest to head a superb cross that drew a fantastic save from goalkeeper Devis Epassy.
Fred then acrobatically shot over the bar in the first half, which was deprived of real chances, but Brazil completely dominated until the last moment, when Bryan Mbeum’s header was brilliantly saved by Ederson – the first attempt on goal was conceded by Brazil as a whole. tournament.
The second half started with another flash of a goal for Cameroon. This time, Aboubakar found an inch of space and fired on the turn, but his effort ended up going wide of Ederson’s post.
Right at the other end, a bit of pinball from inside the penalty area gave Gabriel Jesus a half-aimed goal, but the Arsenal striker couldn’t get enough of his effort to pose a real threat.
Gabriel Martinelli also produced a fine curling effort to save Epassy, who was then called upon to keep out Eder Milita’s corner, with the second half offering more entertainment in ten minutes than the entire first half.
Things inevitably cooled before substitute Olivier Ntcham’s low drive from distance stung Ederson’s gloves in the last 15 minutes.
Bruno Guimaraes thought he would have won it late on when he got to Raphinh’s low cross on the six-yard line, but youngster Christopher Wooh pounced on his shot to save his side.
In stoppage time, Cameroon emerged with a shock winner as Aboubakar went past Ederson and received a second yellow card for wild celebrations. Unfortunately, Switzerland’s win over Serbia meant it didn’t count as the African side had to settle for third place.
Brazil should have equalized in the dying embers through Bruno Guimaraes, who failed to manage his volley and finished his effort with the ball from just a few yards.
Cameroon player ratings (4-2-3-1)
GK: Devis Epassy – 7/10 – Looked nervy on more than one occasion but did everything he needed to do. Fair play.
RB: Collins Fai – 6/10 – Really wild in the first half but played the second with immense discipline.
CB: Enzo Ebosse – 8/10 – A left-back playing central, Ebosse looked pretty comfortable as he prevented Brazil from getting too many clear sights of goal. A crunching challenge on Antony in the second half.
CB: Christopher Wooh – 8/10 – Yet another gem from the Rennes setup, Wooh seemed at ease against elite opposition. Keep an eye on the 21-year-old.
LB: Nouhou Tolo – 6/10 – Like Fai on the other side, calmed himself down in the second half for an all-hands-on-deck performance.
DM: Pierre Kunde – 5/10 – Seemed to be a step behind the Brazil midfield. Booked in his attempts to catch up.
DM: Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa – 7/10 – A dominant force centrally as he forced Brazil to look out wide for a route to goal.
RM: Bryan Mbeumo – 5/10 – Couldn’t really get involved and will be frustrated not to have done more from his header.
AM: Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting – 5/10 – An occasional threat but most of the game was played in Cameroon’s half.
LM: Nicolas Ngamaleu – 6/10 – Uninvolved in attack but his selfless work on the defensive end was key to trying to stop Antony.
ST: Vincent Aboubakar – 6/10 – Hardly touched the ball in the first half but did try to put himself about after the break. A great late goal which he got himself sent off for in the process. Busy.
Substitutes
Karl Toko Ekambi (64′ for Mbeumo) – 5/10 – A little quiet apart from one moment in which he absolutely destroyed Alves.
Olivier Ntcham (68′ for Kunde) – 6/10 – Involved a fair bit after his introduction.
Jerome Mbekeli (86′ for Ngamaleu) – 7/10 – Not on for long but made the difference with a gorgeous cross for Aboubakar’s winner.
Manager
Rigobert Song – 7/10 – Took some risks with his team selection that definitely paid off. Ensured Cameroon held their own against perhaps the best side at the tournament.
Brazil player ratings (4-2-3-1)
GK: Ederson – 6/10 – Looked good on camera as he saved from Mbeumo in an otherwise quiet outing.
RB: Dani Alves – 4/10 – The oldest Brazilian in World Cup history looked like the oldest Brazilian in World Cup history. The legs aren’t what they once were.
CB: Eder Militao – 6/10 – Did a cool guy stunt to get back up off the floor on one of the rare occasions that he was involved.
CB: Bremer – 6/10 – Solid defensively but probably a little too safe when it came to passing. Max Allegri would be proud of the Juve man.
LB: Alex Telles – 5/10 – Not great at the back and didn’t do enough in attack to help Martinelli get through on goal. Went off injured early in the second half.
DM: Fabinho – 5/10 – Given a rare chance to prove he’s better than Casemiro, Fabinho played far too safe. His backwards passing didn’t do much for anyone.
DM: Fred – 6/10 – Got forwards nicely and was involved in most of Brazil’s best moments, including a nice cross for Martinelli in the opening stages.
RM: Antony – 6/10 – A few nice moments and a few really sloppy ones. Involved in a lot of chances but didn’t always make the most of things.
AM: Rodrygo – 7/10 – Enjoyed the central role in which he has been playing at club level. Roamed around the attacking line with total freedom and caused nightmares for the defenders.
LM: Gabriel Martinelli – 7/10 – Brazil’s biggest threat. A constant menace down the left wing and unfortunate not to have scored once or twice.
ST: Gabriel Jesus – 5/10 – Couldn’t get involved really. Cameroon’s defenders did well to mark him out of the game.
Substitutes
Bruno Guimaraes (55′ for Fred) – 6/10 – Good moments and bad moments. Not as impactful as his last outing.
Marquinhos (55′ for Telles) – 7/10 – Some chaotic fun at left-back. Uncomfortable down the left wing but still made it work.
Everton Ribeiro (55′ for Rodrygo) – 5/10 – Offered very little compared to those around him.
Pedro (64′ for Jesus) – 5/10 – Equally as quiet as Jesus.
Raphinha (79′ for Antony) – 6/10 – A lively cameo.
Manager
Tite – 6/10 – Rested his biggest names wisely but will still be frustrated not to have found a way through Cameroon. Could have brought on more firepower if he really wanted to but had plenty of good reasons not to.
