Record-breaking Neymar shows he can still do it for Brazil

If the opening night of South America’s World Cup qualifiers on Thursday raised the question of how long Argentina could rely on Lionel Messi, the round ended on Friday with Neymar firmly declaring that he remains an elite player entitled to dream of a final push. For glory in 2026.

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Neymar saved an early penalty and was shown a yellow card, but he was at the heart of almost everything Brazil produced in an impressive 5-1 win over visitors Bolivia. He was a bit of a bow and arrow player, playing from his position behind the front three, and posing a goal threat. He crossed the ball twice from the right, and his two goals saw him overtake Pele as Brazil’s all-time top goalscorer – which may seem like sacrilege to some, but it certainly underscores the fact that he is an incredible talent.

Some may have seen this as the time when the team’s attack would not be built around Neymar, who moved to the Saudi Professional League to play for Al Hilal. The rise of Vinicius Junior seems to confirm this view. But with the Real Madrid star absent due to injury, Neymar used the occasion to confirm that rumors of his death were greatly exaggerated.

It is true that there are more difficult challenges than those facing Bolivia at home, and on paper it is the easiest of all the 18 rounds in these qualifiers. Bolivia was the first team to defeat Brazil in World Cup qualifying, and has beaten them more times than any other opponent. But always at home, at the extreme altitude of La Paz. Away, especially in the tropical temperatures of Belem – where it was so hot that a drinks break was needed at both halves – they never had a chance.

Under coach Gustavo Costas, Bolivia has achieved some encouraging results in friendly matches. But the coach complained about his team’s problems keeping the ball, which led to them not being able to rest. This was a fatal error against a hungry Brazil team playing their first match under new coach Fernando Diniz.

He should keep the bench warm until Carlo Ancelotti arrives in the middle of next year, and Diniz could enjoy facing Bolivia with better resources at his disposal than at any time in his coaching career. He is constantly looking to create an overload of players, causing too much of the team to be in their own half, and then shifting play to the other side. With Neymar substituting, and players of the caliber of Rodrigo and Rafinha, Bolivia was torn apart again and again.

The two wingers scored the first three goals, with Rafinha slotting home Rodrigo’s brace. And then, to his great delight, Neymar added the final two goals. The only negative sign of Brazil’s attack was for striker Richarlison, who seems to lack level, confidence and luck. Goalkeeper Guillermo Viscara made a good save from one of his headers, and after that his goal attempts were increasingly desperate. The Tottenham man cut a sad figure on the bench after being withdrawn.

There is cause for concern about the way Brazil responded to Bolivia’s attacking change. For most of the game, the only worry for goalkeeper Ederson was Marquinhos’s poorly controlled back pass from a corner kick. But in the last 20 minutes Bolivia pulled on the attacking centre-forward Marcelo Moreno He delivered more mobility Victor Abrego. The pace of the newcomer caused problems. Abrego was able to reach the space behind Arsenal defender Gabriel, in his first appearance with Brazil, and scored with a wonderful shot high at the near post. Deniz teams are sometimes accused of leaving themselves open defensively, and it will be interesting to see if stronger opponents can take advantage of this.

By goal difference, Brazil leads the standings at the end of the first round, and Uruguay ranks second after beating Chile 3-1 in Montevideo.

This was a meeting between the new Uruguayan coach Marcelo Bielsa with his father and his assistant Eduardo Berizzo. In an attempt to prevent Uruguay from building momentum through the attacking full-backs, Berizzo played his strikers wide. But once Manuel Ugarte won the Uruguay midfield, they were able to find their way. Darwin Nunez led the line well, getting past the last defender or using his back-of-the-goal skills to bring others into the game, and Uruguay’s attacking midfielders ran riot. Nico de la Cruz He scored two goals and Federico Valverde once to extend their lead to three goals, while Arturo Vidal provided some solace for Chile.

There is no time to be overjoyed or despondent now that the first round has been completed – and the second round will come on Tuesday.