Neymar

Brazil shows nerves over semifinal without Neymar

Anadolu Agency

SAO PAULO (AA) – Brazil’s World Cup “golden boy” and rising star, Neymar, has again been ruled out of Tuesday’s crunch semifinal World Cup clash against Germany and the rest of the tournament, local media quoted his medical team as saying on Monday.

Hopes were raised after Neymar announced that he still wanted to play in a potential final match in Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã stadium Sunday.

But doctors say his third vertebra – fractured when Colombia’s Juan Camilo Zúñiga kneed the Brazilian forward in the back during Friday’s quarterfinal game – needs at least six weeks’ rest.

Brazil manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has been putting three members of the national team to the test – Willian, Paulinho and Bernard – all vying for Neymar’s spot, local media reported on Monday from the team’s training ground north of Rio de Janeiro.

Read Full Article

VIDEO: Brazilians on Neymar World Cup exit

Video by Cedar Attanasio; produced/translated by Ben Tavener

SÃO PAULO – Just hours after Brazil secured its place in the World Cup semifinals the news broke that the country’s golden boy, Neymar Jr, who had been stretchered off during the quarterfinal clash against Colombia, had fractured a vertebra and would miss the rest of the tournament.

We asked Brazilian fans on Avenida Paulista how they thought their team had fared, and what the country would do without its rising star on the pitch.

See photos and video from the São Paulo Fan Fest during the quarterfinal clash

Rousseff, Barça, Neymar back Alves response to racist act

Anadolu Agency

SÃO PAULO – Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff, FC Barcelona and major sporting figures, including Brazilian forward Neymar, have lent their support to Brazilian footballer Dani Alves after a racist act at a match between Barcelona and Villarreal in Spain.

A spectator threw a banana at Alves during a Spanish Championship match, but the Barcelona defender, who also plays for the Brazilian national side, took onlookers aback by picking up the fruit and taking a bite in defiance.

Read Full Article