In Full Flow

SAMARA, July 2 

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Neymar barged his way into the World Cup limelight with a goal, an assist and another helping of histrionics as Brazil roared into the quarterfinals with a 2-0 victory over Mexico on Monday that inflicted a seventh straight last-16 exit on the central Americans. 

The PSG forward was both architect and executioner for Brazil, sliding home in the second half and then teeing up Roberto Firmino late on, but he also writhed on the floor, seemingly in agony, after Mexico’s Miguel Layun had made slight contact with his ankle.

That should not overshadow his generally positive display however, as the five-time champions beat an otherwise stubborn Mexico, whose World Cup began with such promise with a victory over champions Germany, but ended in familiar fashion in the first knockout round.

It was the seventh World Cup running that Brazil have reached the last-eight, where they will now face Belgium, while Mexico have not made it to that stage since they hosted the tournament in 1986. Mexico, who enjoyed an enviable recent record against Brazil having won seven of their previous 15 matches against them, were a threat on the counter in the first half but then faded without ever really being put to the sword.

For all their quasi-mythological attacking traditions, this Brazil side have a pragmatism that keeps them in check in such a way that you cannot see them ever truly cutting loose at this tournament. Having kept clean sheets in seven of their previous eight games, they were never going to commit men forward and allow Mexico to pick them off on the counter in the same way that Germany did in the group stage. — Reuters

Red Devils back from the dead

MOSCOW: Belgium fought back from two goals down to beat Japan 3-2 with an added-time goal from substitute Nacer Chadli to set up a quarterfinal with Brazil. Belgium became the first side to recover from a two-goal deficit to win a World Cup knockout match since Germany beat England 3-2 after extra time in Mexico in 1970. Reuters