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| Neymar |
SHOWBIZPLUSng can authoritatively report that millions of football loving Brazilians are
currently in tears and pains as their beloved striker, Neymar was ruled out of
the remainder of the World Cup on Friday, thus dealing the hosts a crushing
blow just hours after they battled through to a semi-final showdown with
Germany.
A pulsating opening day of quarter-final action saw
Brazil advance to the last four with a 2-1 victory over Colombia after Germany
defeated old rivals France 1-0 at the Maracana Stadium.
But Brazil’s bruising win over Colombia was
immediately overshadowed by news that Neymar would miss the rest of the
tournament after suffering a fractured vertebra.
The 22-year-old was carried off grimacing in agony
after an aerial collision with Colombia defender Juan Camilo Zuniga towards the
end of the contest. Neymar got a knee in the back.
“The exam showed he suffered a fracture of the
third vertebra” in his back, Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said.
The Barcelona superstar has been integral to
Brazil’s World Cup campaign so far, scoring four goals during the World Cup
hosts journey to the last four.
His injury is bound to focus attention on the
performance of Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo, who allowed several
rugged challenges from both sides go unpunished throughout Friday’s game.
Brazil coach Luis Felipe Scolari fumed that Neymar
had been targeted by opponents during the tournament.
“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,” Scolari said.
- Skipper suspended - As well as Neymar, Brazil
will also miss captain Thiago Silva in Tuesday’s semi-final in Belo Horizonte,
after the defender picked up a yellow card against Colombia to earn a
suspension.
Silva had earlier fired Brazil into an early 1-0
lead before David Luiz made it 2-0 with a thunderous long-range free-kick
midway through the second half.
Colombian playmaker James Rodriguez — kicked
repeatedly by Brazil’s players throughout — pulled a goal back from the penalty
spot to set up a tense finale but the hosts held on for the win.
Rodriguez, the tournament’s top scorer with six
goals, left the field in tears after the defeat. Brazil’s semi-final will see
them play Germany in a repeat of the 2002 World Cup final won 2-0 by the South
Americans.
It will be only the second time Brazil has met
Germany at a World Cup. Germany reached the semi-finals for a record fourth
straight time earlier Friday after a header from Mats Hummels helped beat
France 1-0 in Rio de Janeiro.
Borussia Dortmund defender Hummels rose to head
home Toni Kroos’s free-kick on 13 minutes to settle a cagey encounter.
“The next dream has come true,” said
man-of-the-match Hummels. “It’s unbelievable that it’s all going so well for us
here at the World Cup.
“I hope that our journey won’t end soon and that we
can make it back to compete here week next Sunday,” he added, referring to the
July 13 final.
France coach Didier Deschamps bemoaned his team’s
failure to capitalise on the handful of chances they created.
“There was not much between the sides,” Deschamps
said. “One team is more used to these occasions and has more experience.
“We were not clinical in front of goal.” France had
entered the match quietly confident of avenging semi-final defeats against
Germany in 1982 and 1986.
But they were left to rue a lacklustre first half
performance which saw Germany dominate in sweltering conditions.
France rallied in the second half and Hummels saved
Germany with a desperate late block of a Karim Benzema shot shortly before
Manuel Neuer parried a firm strike from Blaise Matuidi.
Neuer saved Germany again at the death, pulling off
a brilliant block from Benzema just seconds from the whistle.
The quarter-final drama continues Saturday when the
Netherlands play Costa Rica and Belgium take on Argentina.
AFP -
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