sport news ROB DRAPER: Brazil turned their 4-1 thrashing of South Korea into a party trends now

It was the celebrations that gave the game away.

Knock-out games are meant to be tense affairs. Even if you score early, it’s heads down, no complacency.

Not where Brazil are concerned. They turned this into party inside seven minutes. A party like 1982. Or 1986. Or, perhaps more auspiciously, a party like 1970.

The personification of that side, Pele, is in hospital gravely ill and they carried a banner with his name at the end. Last night at Stadium 974 they looked worthy heirs of his team.

And they played and celebrated like they know it. Neymar was back – we had feared his ankle injury might keep him out of the rest of the World Cup – yet he wasn’t even the third-best attacking player for Brazil.

Yet he was still the centre of attention. So when Brazil opened the scoring, in the seventh minute, with Raphinha bursting down the left, all of Korea’s four defenders headed to mark him. Which left them a bit of problem when he let it run for Vinicius Junior. Naturally his team-mate scored. And the proceeded to team up Raphinha and Lucas Paqueta to perform a samba dance routine. Let’s just say they already looked fairly relaxed about the remaining 83 minutes.

When Neymar scored the penalty they were awarded on 12 minutes there was more. A whole dance routine this time, with Neymar in the middle and the rest of the team forming a circle around him, a routine so elaborate it felt like it required a technical breakdown and mark from Craig Revel Horwood.

Pity South Korea. They had 78 minutes more of this and fair play for Wolves’ Hwang Heechan forcing Alison into a fine save shorty after.