BRASILIA: NEYMAR knew the responsibility was his. An increasingly anxious host nation was relying on him to ensure Brazil avoided the almost inconceivable prospect of going out in the group stage of a World Cup on home soil.
The 22-year-old Barcelona striker delivered on the weighty expectations on Monday, setting the Selecao on course to clinch their place in the knockout stage with two precision first-half goals in a 4-1 rout of Cameroon.
“I have the responsibility to go out there and help my teammates,” said Neymar, the World Cup’s leading scorer with four goals. “We all did well today and got the result that we needed.”
He had already been decisive in the 3-1 opening win over Croatia, when he also scored twice to lift a struggling Brazil.
Fred and Fernandinho added second-half goals to ensure top spot in Group A for Brazil, who will face South American rivals Chile in the second round.
More important than the widely expected victory, though, was a performance that restored the confidence of fans after two disappointing matches.
“It was our best match,” Neymar said. “Not only because of the result but also because of how we played. We pressured our opponents just like we wanted. We deserved this result — everyone in the team deserves credit for what we did today.”
Neymar scored on either side of midfielder Joel Matip’s goal for Cameroon in the 26th minute.
He opened the scoring off a low cross by midfielder Luiz Gustavo in the 17th, deftly side-footing the ball home from close range, then restored the lead with a low right-foot strike from the top of the penalty area in the 35th after a pass by left back Marcelo.
Fred, who had been loudly criticised for his lackluster performances, scored with a header from close range after a cross by defender David Luiz from the left in the 49th minute. And Fernandinho, who replaced Paulinho in the second half, poked in from short range in the 84th.
“I liked how the team played,” Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said. “There were some highs and lows, but in general we improved a little bit more. We are progressing match after match and that’s important.”
Brazil finished Group A with seven points after a 0-0 draw with Mexico and two wins. They ended with the same points as Mexico, but had a better goal difference. The Mexicans eliminated Croatia with a 3-1 win in Recife.
“We knew we had to do better today,” Brazil striker Hulk said. “We had to play better and we did.”
Cameroon, who haven’t advanced to the second round since becoming the first African nation to reach the World Cup quarter-finals in 1990, likely saw Eto’o playing in his final World Cup. The 33-year-old striker, in his fourth World Cup, is the team’s all-time leading scorer. AP