Brazil vs Costa Rica, World Cup 2018: Tite avoids joining Gareth Southgate in physio room after wild goal celebration

Once the adrenaline of Brazil’s stoppage-time win over Costa Rica had finally worn off, manager Tite started to feel the pain.

The Brazil bench celebrated Philippe Coutinho’s 91st minute goal with such fervour, exploding onto the pitch, that substitue goalkeeper Ederson bundled Tite over with something closely resembling a rugby tackle. 57-year-old Tite admitted in his post-match press conference that he was limping afterwards and fears he has done something serious to his back.

“It was sensational, but I pulled a muscle,” Tite said. “Or I have torn some fibres, I am still limping from the celebration.”

But whatever injury Tite has sustained, he was still delighted with his team. They made hard work of beating Costa Rica - that was why the celebrated so much when they scored - but Tite was still impressed. Especially with how his team responded to a sluggish first half, raised their game, started to create chances and eventually earned their breakthrough.

“We played a beautiful second half, a beautiful second half,” Tite said. “There was volume, there was precision. Keylor Navas had to play really well. Of course, the first half was not so good. In the beginning we were very nervous, the passes were wrong. But at the resumption of the second half, I said ‘look, I’m an old man of 57. Please control the ball, then make good passes, make good opportunities.”

After never finding that next gear and drawing 1-1 with Switzerland in their first game, this was real progress from a Brazil side that is still finding their way. Tite knows that his job is to encourage that improvement to continue. “The question of being number one, I don’t see that as an issue,” he said. “The team is consolidating and growing. Sometimes they build their own spirit, I have to look at and foster that growth, to build and strengthen the team.”

As ever, Neymar was the centre of attention this afternoon, scoring the second goal, winning a penalty only to have it withdrawn by VAR, crying at the end. Tite knows how much pressure Neymar is under and tried to lift as much of that as possible, springing to the defence of his controversial number 10, pointing to how difficult it has been for him since his injury.

“His individuality shows up it the whole group is playing well,” Tite said. “You can’t put all the responsibility on the shoulders of one player. And he is resuming a process. He was out for three and a half month, and today he played the full match. The previous game was his first match. He’s a human being, he needs time to resume high standards. He needs the team to be strong, not dependent on him. Is he going to make it? Of course. He’s going to reach the top. Your going to see it.”

Tite also defended Neymar for his final whistle tears.

“I think the joy, the satisfaction, the pride, of representing the Brazil national team is a lot,” Tite said. “So he has the responsibility, the joy, the pressure, and he has the courage to show it. Everyone shows it the way he the can.” Even if that emotion, as shown by Ederson, injures the manager.