70’: Floodgates?

Neymar and Coutinho lead another rush out across midfield, bringing danger and fear. But Coutinho cuts back at the top of the box a split-second too long, and his shot is deflected wide for a corner.

Rory Smith: Just as the game was starting to come to life, Brazil go and kill it off. Serbia had created a flurry of chances, seeming to turn what had been an assured Brazilian defense into a quivering mess. It seemed that there might be yet another stirring climax — to follow the adventures of Spain, Argentina and Germany — only for Neymar to swing in a corner and Thiago Silva to thump a header past Vladimir Stojkovic. Brazil has, once again, played in patches and flashes here, looking the best team in the tournament at one minute and somehow sluggish the next. The question — for all of us, but Mexico most immediately — is whether that’s all they can do, or whether there is more to come.

68’ GOAL! BRAZIL!

Neymar won the corner, delivered the corner and now he celebrates in the corner with Thiago Silva, who beat his man to the near post and buried a strong header. A Serbia-type goal, you might say, but it doubles Brazil’s lead, and may have punched their ticket to the round of 16.

67’: Neymar Doing Neymar Things

Neymar toys with Serbia in the corner a bit, because he’s Neymar. Now he’s won a corner.

66’: Paulinho Off for Fernandinho

That’s a defensive midfielder for an attacking one, and a sign that Tite knows his team needs a little help at the moment, and a little more grit to see this out.

65’: Brazil’s Defense Holds

And now ANOTHER Serbian chance: a Mitrovic header from six yards. But he sends it the only place he couldn’t — right into Alisson’s hands on the goal line.

63’: Serbia Keeps Attacking

Another Serbian surge: Tadic, Milinkovic-Savic and the rest press into the center again with Mitrovic, and Brazil frantically clears. The Serbs sense something.

61’: Serbia Goes Close

Rukavina, a defender surging forward briefly, sends in a curling ball that forces Alisson to dive and punch — but the ball lands right on the head of Mitrovic! His header hits a Brazilian, though, and falls back into the arms of Alisson, who didn’t even have the chance to scramble to his feet.