Brazil suffer Neymar blow, may miss clash against Costa Rica

by Grant Boone
in Sports
— Jun 22, 2018

Share:

Brazil announced Neymar was feeling the effects of a sore ankle after he was fouled 10 times in the surprise 1-1 draw with Switzerland on matchday one.

The Brazilian football confederation said the injury was not serious, adding Neymar left as a precaution and would be back in training on Wednesday (Thursday NZ time).

Brazil have been handed a huge disappointment after Neymar was taken out of their training session after just ten minutes.

However the 26-year-old forward has shown little signs of rust since returning for Brazil, scoring in consecutive friendlies on the eve of the finals.

Costa Rica's only World Cup victory against a team from South America was four years ago against Uruguay.

While Neymar played out 90 minutes of the Group E clash, he was on the receiving end of several tough tackles from Switzerland's players at the Rostov Arena.

Given the success of Switzerland's rugged approach, Neymar can expect more of the same against Costa Rica and Serbia with the pressure upped on Brazil to rediscover the form they showed in qualifying. Because of the number of fouls that he suffered in the last match he's felt some pain in his ankle, and that's why he's not training today. For Neymar or any other player for Brazil, the pressure is always there, this is expected.

Tite must hope the malaise that affected his key player - and, it must be said, many of his team mates - will lift before their next game against Costa Rica in St Petersburg on Friday.

They insisted the problem was not related to the fractured right foot that required surgery and saw Neymar miss the last three months of the club season for Paris Saint-Germain.

Mexican referee Cesar Ramos's handling of the Swiss tactics divided opinion among fans and commentators as some called for greater protection for one of the world's best players, while many believed Neymar was too quick to go to ground. "When he is on the field he helps us a lot".

"We want to win, it's a World Cup, but the coach is not going to play with the players' health".

This is the first time since the 1978 World Cup in Argentina that the five-time champions have not won their opening match.

Share:

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE...

What to know about Instagram's new video platform
Through the new app, you'll be able to watch videos from people you follow and creators Instagram thinks you'll be interested in. IGTV is the most recent addition to Instagram's video offerings, following the introduction of Instagram Stories and live video.
6/22/2018

OPEC braces for tough Vienna talks on hiking oil output
The odds of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries reaching a deal on Friday have increased through the week. Most of the shortfall has come from Venezuela , where an economic crisis has savaged the nation's petroleum production.
6/22/2018

World's oldest known Sumatran orangutan dies
Sumatran orangutans, found in the northern parts of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, do not usually live beyond 50 in the wild. Puan's genetics were responsible for just under 10 per cent of the global zoological population of the species, Thompson said.
6/22/2018

North Korea has vowed to destroy key testing site
Trump's remarks about the remains on June 20 were part of a broader description of progress made in North Korea. In 2003, during his first stint as premier, he introduced the controversial "July 1 Economic Measures".
6/22/2018

Maurizio Sarri will be a success at Chelsea, says Kalidou Koulibaly
He has received lucrative offers from China, while Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid and Schalke have been linked. In each of his two summers in charge, Conte tried to convince Chelsea to sign Belgium forward Dries Mertens .
6/22/2018

International Yoga Day 2018: 10 Facts To Know About The Spiritual Exercise
On the northern facade of the United Nations building in NY a laser projection of yoga postures has been in place since Monday. To mark the day, the Embassy also released a video of the Indian ambassador Indra Mani Pandey practicing a few yoga postures.
6/22/2018

Putin trolls Federation Internationale de Football Association by inviting disgraced Blatter to World Cup
Last week, former Scottish Football Association boss Stewart Regan said an English-led home nations bid is " definitely on the radar ".
6/22/2018

Prince Louis christening: Kate Middleton confirms christening date for royal baby
Louis will share his baptism location with George , but Charlotte , on the other hand, was baptized at the Church of St. Louis has not been seen in public since he was glimpsed outside the Lindo Wing on April 23, hours after he was born.
6/22/2018

Hackers just stole $30 million from the world's sixth largest crypto exchange
In its announcement, Bithumb didn't disclose the exact details of the coins that were affected in the hack and in what quantities. Without an independent audit or third-party report into the incident, however, it is hard to know exactly what happened.
6/21/2018

Gritty Australia can take hope from defeat against France
After watching the replay three or four times Cunha chose to make history by using VAR to award a penalty for the first time ever. A win against the South Americans next would allow France coach Didier Deschamps to rotate his players for the final game.
6/21/2018