Brazil beat Serbia to enter World Cup pre-quarters
Moscow, June 28: Brazil eliminated Serbia with a 2-0 victory as the five-time world champions entered the FIFA World Cup pre-quarter finals by topping the Group E here on Wednesday.
Paulinho (36th minute), Thiago Silva (68th minute) gave the South American powerhouse an easy victory which took their points tally to seven after all the three of their games in the group stage.
Switzerland finished the Group E in the second spot with five points to book a spot in the second round. Serbia finished third with three points and are eliminated alongside Costa Rica.
For Brazil, who had played a 1-1 draw with the Swiss before defeating Costa Rica, the victory over Serbia was soured by a leg injury to Real Madrid left-back Marcelo, who hobbled off the pitch in the opening minutes, reports Xinhua news agency.
Although the scoreline might not have shown it, Brazil dominated the match, save for a 10-minute period in the second half when Serbia laid siege to the South American side's goal.
The five-time world champions began the game full of energy and nearly went ahead in the fourth minute. Philippe Coutinho laid the ball off to Neymar who split Serbia's defence with a one-touch through pass to Gabriel Jesus. The Manchester City forward's shot was saved but the rebound fell to Coutinho and the midfielder crossed to the onrushing Neymar, who sent his first-time effort wide.
Coutinho, Jesus and Neymar caused problems for Serbia's defence, particularly on the left side. The latter two combined superbly just before the half hour mark, but Neymar's curled shot from a tight angle on the left from six yards out was tipped away by Stojkovic.
The pair again showed great understanding when the No. 9 ran onto a perfectly weighted through-ball and cut onto his favoured right foot before having his shot blocked.
Serbia rarely troubled Brazil's defence. Their best chance came just after the half-hour mark when striker Aleksandar Mitrovic sent a bicycle kick over the bar after Dusan Tadic's cross from the left.
Brazil, however, deservingly got ahead when Coutinho spotted a tremendous run from deep by Paulinho and clipped a 25-metre perfect pass through to him. goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic came off his line but Paulinho got a touch on the ball before poking the bouncing ball over him and into the net in the 36th minute.
The European side emerged from the interval with renewed vigour.A Adem Ljajic forced a finger-tip save from Alison and he parried awkwardly to Mitrovic whose diving header was blocked by Silva.
Tadic's delicate chip then sailed narrowly wide of the far post. Serbia had Brazil on the back foot and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic probably should have done better when he fired over with passing options available. Mitrovic then sent a powerful header directly at the goalkeeper.
But Brazil stood firm and scored their second goal against the run of play when Silva rose highest after a Neymar corner from the left to head in at the near post.
Brazil had chances to make it 3-0 with Luis seeing his long-range shot punched clear by Stojkovic and Neymar sending a bouncing shot over the bar.
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Mangaluru man released early from Saudi jail under National Day Amnesty
Mangaluru: A 66-year-old man from Mangaluru, Karnataka, who was serving a three-year jail sentence in Saudi Arabia, has been granted early release under the Kingdom’s National Day amnesty program. The man, identified as Ahmed Imran (name changed), worked as a driver in Jeddah before his arrest in September 2023.
Ahmed’s troubles began during a routine day at work when a neighborhood boy repeatedly harassed him while he was washing his employer’s car. Despite having previously complained to the boy's father about his behavior, no action was taken. Frustrated by the continued disturbances, Ahmed pushed the boy away. However, the boy reported the incident to his father, allegedly exaggerating the events.
The boy’s father lodged a police complaint, which led to Ahmed’s arrest. Following court proceedings, Ahmed was sentenced to three years in jail. Lacking the financial means to hire a defense lawyer, Ahmed was unable to appeal the judgment.
After his sentencing, Ahmed’s family and local leaders from Karnataka reached out for assistance. Dr. & Adv. P.A. Hameed Padubidri, a Riyadh-based pro bono lawyer and social worker originally from Udupi, took up the case. Dr. Hameed and his Saudi legal team worked to resolve the matter, including attempts to negotiate with the complainant. However, these efforts were unsuccessful.
As a final step, Dr. Hameed advised Ahmed’s family to submit a mercy petition to the authorities. Following consistent follow-ups, Ahmed’s case was included in Saudi Arabia's National Day amnesty program, which facilitates the early release of eligible inmates.
Ahmed was released within a year of his sentence, bringing relief to his family in India. Upon his return, he expressed gratitude to his employer in Jeddah and the individuals who assisted him during his ordeal, including Dr. Hameed, K.S. Nasir Asaigoli, a social worker from Mangaluru, and Azhar from Jeddah.
The National Day amnesty program, a regular initiative by Saudi Arabia, offers relief to many individuals, reflecting the Kingdom’s efforts to uphold principles of justice and clemency. Ahmed’s release highlights the importance of community support and legal intervention for expatriates facing challenges abroad.
