Rio de Janeiro: Brazil went into mourning after learning the news that Neymar wouldn’t be available for the remainder of the World Cup. There was a sense of the groom falling sick moments ahead of tying the knot.
TV presenters who normally gesticulate wildly and laugh non-stop appeared numb on Friday night while discussing the fallout of Neymar’s absence.
The injury hasn’t only hurt the player; it has wounded the whole nation. And, the World Cup will not be the same again for Brazilians. Neymar, the heir apparent to Pele as both played for the same club (Santos), is the darling of the masses and his absence would be felt across the country of 200 million people.
Brazil’s win over Colombia in the quarterfinal was achieved at a great cost because captain Thiago Silva picked up a yellow card during the match, his second of the tournament, that will see him suspended for the semi-final. Few Brazilian fans would remember the Pyrrhic victory now as the Selecao have lost two vital members ahead of the Germany match.
Germany would be formidable opponents for Brazil even with Neymar and Silva. In the absence of hosts’ most effective forward and key defender, the Germans would be prohibitive favourites to go through to the final. Luis Felipe Scolari has the unenviable task of motivating his team which is demoralised now.
It would be interesting to watch how the Brazilian team, which had already been panned by former players for being too emotional, respond to the crisis. Neymar is irreplaceable in the playing XI and Scolari doesn’t have a player who has half the talent of his talisman.
Forward Fred is going through a wretched tournament and he has become the butt of jokes of many foreigners for his bumbling ways. Oscar and Hulk, the wide players of Scolari, are struggling for form, even though the latter showed some improvement against Colombia.
Brazil don’t have firepower in the creative department as Scolari has packed his 23-member squad with defensive midfielders. Jo is the only notable forward on the bench and he’s not brimming with confidence either.
The coach had pinned his hopes entirely on Neymar and the player also rose to the occasion brilliantly to put Brazil two steps away from their sixth world crown. Now the hexa dream lies in tatters as Brazil are counting the cost of relying on one player.
While misfortune combined with Colombian player Juan Zuinga’s reckless tackle caused Neymar’s injury, there was no excuse for the silly yellow card Silva received for barging into Colombia’s goalkeeper David Ospina when he was about to take a free kick. The captain has let his country down through his stupidity.
Neymar’s injury tempered celebrations here. Brazil captain Thiago Silva will also miss the Germany match through suspension. He needlessly got a yellow card, his second of the tournament, for putting the ball in the back of the net after dispossessing Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina when he was about to take a goal kick.
