Five things we learned from matchday 3 in Group E

Unlike other groups, Group E turned out mostly as people had expected, with the top-ranked side, Brazil topping the quartet, whilst the other three teams Switzerland, Serbia, and Costa Rica battled for second spot. However, there were still plenty of talking points, as it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Brazil whilst a darling of the last World Cup failed to replicate their performances this time around.

Without further ado, let’s get into the five most notable aspects of Group E’s campaign.

1. Brazil is more than just Neymar

Although all the focus is on the PSG superstar, Brazil obviously is more than just Neymar. It was Coutinho’s rocket from distance to help them earn a draw against Switzerland, and whilst Neymar did get on the scoresheet late to be involved in their 2-0 win over Costa Rica, their goals against Serbia came from the most unlikely of sources: Thiago Silva and Paulinho. A defender and a midfielder, mind you. That’s showing that Tite’s side is not just a well-oiled, cohesive unit, but are definitely cementing their status as major contenders to lift the title this July.

They will be certainly relieved not to face Germany, as the scars from that 7-1 mauling still remain. Although they face a tricky clash with Mexico and are on the “tougher” side of the bracket, the team’s showings in Group E were encouraging enough – especially as they managed to pick up seven points without getting into a higher gear.

2. The gap between “smaller” and “bigger” sides has narrowed considerably

On paper, Brazil should have been able to cruise to a very comfortable win in each of their three games. However, they were shocked to draw with Switzerland in their Group E opener, and it took till extra time before they were able to break down Costa Rica. Whilst they seemed more comfortable in their 2-0 win over Serbia, it was hardly a blowout and the Balkan nation did put up a good fight from start to finish.

Just as in the other groups, which has seen Croatia crush Argentina and Mexico shock Germany, whilst Spain struggled against Morocco and Iran, this tournament is showing that smaller or lower-tier sides clearly have closed the gap on teams inside the top ten. And that makes for interesting viewing for neutrals, who will be hoping to see more surprises unfold as several underdog sides have made it to the round of 16.

3. The surprising decline of Costa Rica

Costa Rica were widely unfancied in 2014, to say the least. After all, Los Ticos were in a group with Uruguay, Italy, and England, and everyone predictably thought it would be the Central American side on the first flight home.

However, it was the Three Lions and the Azzurri sent packing, whilst not only did Costa Rica qualify, they managed to top their quartet. It was also at that tournament that Keylor Navas became a household name and earned himself a big money move to Real Madird.

So, four years later, having secured their spot again, curiosity was high as to whether Costa Rica could replicate that same kind of performance that saw them to the quarter-finals. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be this time around. They ended up losing their Group E opening game to Serbia, and it was all downhill from there. A draw with Switzerland on the final day which saw them score a couple of goals wasn’t enough to prevent them from finishing bottom of the pile, and the team’s decline shows that football truly comes in cycles. One tournament, a team can burst onto the scene, and in another, go out without a whimper.

4. Switzerland continuing to plug along quietly

But should one be surprised? Switzerland were very solid in qualifying, with only an final day loss to Portugal scuppering their chances of making it a perfect ten wins out of ten. La Nati’s spot at this tournament was shrouded in some controversy, as they were fortunate to be given a spot-kick against Northern Ireland, but they certainly have shown they deserve to be in Russia. To fight back from a goal down against tournament heavyweights Brazil and to secure a draw is an impressive feat, and they showed their tough resolve as they overturned a 1-0 deficit against Serbia to win that game 2-1.

Yes, they fumbled a bit against Costa Rica by allowing the already eliminated Los Ticos back into the game, but overall, it was a strong Group E campaign from Vladimir Pektovic’s side. As a result of their efforts, they’ve been paired with fellow underdog Sweden in the round of 16, which given that the two sides seem pretty equally matched, a spot in the quarter-finals could be on the horizon for La Nati.

5. Serbia left to rue mistakes from second game

Serbia started off their Group E campaign off brightly, with a brilliant free-kick from skipper Aleksandar Kolarov enough to earn them a hard-fought win over a very defensive Costa Rica side. All seemed to be going well against Switzerland, but their profligacy in front of goal cost them dearly as their opponents managed to edge their way back into the game to win it 2-1, leaving the Balkan side with a very stern test against Brazil on matchday three.

Simply put, had they managed to keep Switzerland at bay, Serbia would have been through to the round of 16. But overall, it was a fair showing from a side making their first World Cup appearance since 2010. In addition, several of their players who have been linked with moves to other clubs will hope they’ve done enough to put themselves in the shop window for this summer’s transfer market.