THERE was no hiding that Brazil is under severe pressure at the World Cup. Neymar was overcome with emotion at the end of their crucial 2-0 win over Costa Rica last week, the Paris St Germain star collapsing on the pitch in a flood of tears.

It was an excruciating victory for Brazil — they needed three points after their 1-1 draw with Switzerland in their Group ‘E’ opener — and it came only after injury-time goals from Philippe Coutinho and Neymar.

The Brazilians cruised through World Cup qualifying, entering the tournament in Russia as top favourites for the title and Neymar’s poignant outburst, if anything, was evidence that the pressure is getting to them. They are carrying a huge weight of expectation, hoping to take Brazil back to where they belong especially after that humiliating exit from the last edition back home — the 7-1 hammering by Germany in the semi-finals.

Brazil go into their final group game against Serbia on Wednesday knowing well that Germany could be their potential last-16 opponents. That could well play on the Brazilian nerves but they will take to the pitch here at the Spartak Stadium with the knowledge where Germany have finished in their group. The permutations are such that both Brazil and Germany might go out but there is a high chance that the world champions will finish second in their group.

Avoiding Germany so early in the tournament will require Brazil to finish second in their group. A draw might ensure that but even then results elsewhere might see them end in Germany’s path.

It would be a chance to avenge that mauling in Belo Horizonte but Neymar crying after a game against Costa Rica has Brazilian media worried about the Selecao’s mental fragility.

“A team needs to demonstrate mental strength, not fragility. Genuine or not, Neymar’s crying is worrying,” Brazil’s biggest daily O Globo said.

Two days after the Costa Rica game, Brazil full-back Fagner found himself defending Neymar. “Ney­mar has gone through a lot,” he said on Sunday, referring to the injury suffered by Brazil’s talisman in February that only saw him return to action just before the World Cup.

Neymar also came under fire for a lacklustre performance in the opener against Switzerland. “Every player is a human being so has feelings and is entitled to be upset,” said Fagner. “Different people react differently. Perhaps that was his outburst. We know what we’ve gone through to get here.”

Such is the competition for places in the squad that only a few knew they were going to the World Cup. Fagner too suffered an injury in April and made the team after first-choice Dani Alves got injured.

Now, the objective is to advance from the group. “We all know how important this is, how important qualification is,” said Fagner.

“We know the responsibility we have in this game, we know it will be a tough match, technically, physically and mentally.”

Mental strength would be vital for them considering the events of the last few days. Even Serbia realise they use the pressure on Brazil in their favour.

“I think there is more pressure on Brazil since they aren’t accustomed to this situation where they can go out in the first round,” Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic said at a news conference on Monday.

“We, on the other hand, have nothing to lose. And I think as long as we are in the game, it will give us a chance to go further. Nothing is impossible. Whoever believes in the miracle, creates that miracle.”

Serbia began with a 1-0 victory over Costa Rica but came unstuck against Switzerland, losing 2-1 after Xherdan Shaqiri’s 90th-minute winner.

Serbia, in their World Cup history, have incidentally lost every match in which they’ve conceded a goal.

Goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic will play a key role in ensuring that.

“For the first time since I was in the team, I’ve felt everyone is with us,” he said, sitting alongside Mitrovic. “There are huge expectations and a real chance that we can achieve a good result. We should be grateful that we are in a situation where victory against Brazil will take us through.”

At any other point in Brazil’s history, Serbia wouldn’t have been as confident as they are now about getting a victory against the five-time champions — that too in a crunch World Cup game. There is reason for that optimism.

At the World Cup, Brazil have looked a shadow of the side that was so imperious in qualifying, especially after Tite was hired following their humbling exit from the 2016 Copa America Centenario.

Thrashing both Argentina and Uruguay by three-goal margins hinted that, heading into the World Cup, Tite had exorcised the demons from that loss to Germany.

The demons seem to have returned two games into the World Cup it seems. Getting ousted from the World Cup in the group stage will prove that Tite’s reign was only a false dawn and Brazil are yet to fully recuperate.

Advance, and the Germans could ruthlessly exploit the mental fragility that still exists. None of that concerns Tite, though.

“I want to put it out for the whole Brazilian nation,” he said at the pre-match press conference.

“In the first game against Ecuador [Tite’s first in-charge of Brazil], Tite cried. I cried of joy, satisfaction, I cried of pleasure, of sobbing, of a moment of pressure and that the victory came. We cannot lose our essence and think that a moment of emotion can be synonymous with imbalance.”

But wouldn’t the emotions ratchet up if they were to face Ger­many, causing imbalance? “We’re not thinking about that nor are we going to think about that,” Tite said.

“The goal for the team is to get stronger and stronger as the competition progresses.”

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2018