After a dominant 4-1 win over Cameroon, Brazil is through to the Round of 16 at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Neymar led the way for the Brazilians, scoring two first-half goals before Fred and Fernandinho each added an insurance goal as they clinched the top spot in Group A.
Brazil jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, but Cameroon silenced the crowd when Matip scored the equalizer in the 26th minute. Neymar’s second goal of the day, however, tilted the momentum back in favor of the Brazilians and they cruised for the majority of the game.
Neymar, who now has four goals, is the tournament’s leading scorer.
The Brazilians will face Chile on Saturday in the second round.
In the other Group A matchup of the day, Mexico topped Croatia, 3-1, which was good enough for second place in Group A. Both Mexico and Brazil finished group play with seven points apiece, but Brazil’s lopsided win gave them the top spot due to goal differential.
Mexico exploded for three goals in a ten-minute span during the second half to advance to the knockout stage.
Rafael Marquez kicked off the scoring frenzy with a header in the 72nd minute, while Andres Guardado tacked on another goal three minutes later. Javier Hernandez got in on the offensive attack with a header from a corner kick in 82nd minute to seal the victory.
Mexico will play Group B winner, the Netherlands, on Sunday.
Here are the final standings for Group A:
Brazil — 7 points
Mexico — 7 points
Croatia — 3 points
Cameroon — 0 points
Photo via Twitter/@TheRioTimes
