Neymar back injury mars Brazil’s victory
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NEYMAR has been “hunted” throughout the World Cup, Brazil’s coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said on Friday as his superstar striker was ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a fractured vertebrae.
Neymar was carried off in agony after a heavy challenge in which Juan Camillo Zuniga kneed him in the back towards the end of Brazil’s 2-1 quarterfinal win over Colombia in Fortaleza.
Hospital tests showed the 22-year-old striker had a fractured third vertebrae. The injury is not expected to require surgery and the recovery time will be about four weeks.
FIFA said yesterday it could take action against Zuniga.
“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee is analyzing all the elements provided, the videos and the match reports, and will decide whether or not to take action,” FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer said.
Scolari was not pleased with Colombia’s rough tactics.
“I have been saying for three matches that Neymar has been hunted, but all the other countries say it is not true and it is only their players that are hunted,” said Scolari.
Scolari said Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo should have done more to take control of the match.
According to teammate Hulk, Neymar needs better protection.
“Every time is like this. Players always come after Neymar,” Hulk said. “The referees need to do more to keep this from happening.”
Zuniga said he did not deliberately try to hurt Neymar.
“On the pitch I’m defending my shirt, my country, but I didn’t expect him to fracture a vertebrae... I wasn’t thinking of hurting him.”
Scolari fumed that Silva had been booked for impeding a clearance from Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina without any injury when Zungia went unpunished.
“There was not even a yellow card and Thiago got a yellow card for nothing,” he said.
The Barcelona superstar has been integral to Brazil’s World Cup campaign so far, scoring four goals en route to the last four.
Brazil appeared to have had the game won when David Luiz’s sensational free-kick doubled his side’s advantage midway through the second-half after Silva’s early opener.
However, James Rodriguez — kicked repeatedly by Brazil’s players throughout — scored a penalty 10 minutes from time to cut the deficit with his sixth goal in five World Cup games.
Match-winner Luiz, meanwhile, reveled in his incredible free-kick that propelled Brazil into the last four for the first time in 12 years.
“Today it was great because I hit the exact point where the ball can go many ways and it is difficult for the goalkeeper,” said the defender.
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