Home hero Neymar suffers in agony as his World Cup ends
Injured Neymar
Brazil forward Neymar has been ruled out of the World Cup with a back injury suffered in the 2-1 quarter-final win over Colombia.
The 22-year-old fractured a vertebra in his back when he was kneed in a challenge by Juan Zuniga.
Neymar was in tears when he carried off on a stretcher, before being taken to hospital in Fortaleza. Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said: “Neymar was going to be hunted. For three matches that has been happening.” Team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar told Brazil’s SportTV: “Unfortunately, he’s not going to be able to play. He is very, very sad.” “It’s not serious in the sense that it doesn’t need surgery, but he’ll need to immobilise it to recover.” Lasmar added that he expected the recovery period to take at least a few weeks. Neymar recovered from thigh and knee injuries sustained in the second-round win over Chile to play against Colombia. He has featured in all five of Brazil’s matches at the 2014 FIFAWorld Cup and is their top scorer with four goals.
Brazil striker Neymar has admitted he is happy to win ugly as he looks to take another step towards delivering his country’s sixth World Cup on home soil against Colombia in Fortaleza on Friday, Telegraph.co.uk reports.
La Selecao have been criticised for some of their less convincing performances on route to the quarter-finals, most notably in squeezing past Chile on penalties in the last 16.
“You can’t always enjoy yourself and win 4-0 or 5-0. Football nowadays is so difficult, so even, that the team who is most committed on the pitch ends up winning,” said Neymar.
“I don’t want a show. That’s the last thing we are trying to do. We are not necessarily here to produce a spectacle. We are here to run to the end, until we are tired, and come out as winners.”
Neymar also insists he will be fully-fit to face the Colombians, despite suffering thigh and knee injuries against Chile.
One of the major concerns for coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has been the lack of support for Neymar in attacking areas as he has scored half of his side’s eight goals after four games, whilst other forwards Fred, Jo and Hulk have struggled to make an impact.
Neymar, though, claimed the team are not overdependent on him.
