Brazil vs Mexico (R16) - 15:00 - 02/07/2018

[Wilf]

Anyroad, Belgium up next for Brazil (probably). After that I'm an honorary Grand Place-Mayonaise-Trappist sort of feller. Could be close. Come on Romelu!

 

[billbond]

I didn't even see the original incident, was at the bar. It was just Neymar going from rubbing his head and then, as soon as the Mexican guy picked up the ball, doing his bonkers rolling around thing. FFS! Apart from a few blips, var has been pretty good imho. I thought though it was supposed to be able to pick up shit like this and punish players retrospectively (Neymar, not the original Mexican player).

Yep
Looking it again it was a red
Just hope its not a silly VAR "decision" that spoils a very good Tournament

 

[Wilf]

Yep
Looking it again it was a red
Just hope its not a silly VAR "decision" that spoils a very good Tournament

Of course we won't see Neymar again, following the inevitable reconstructive surgery on his ankle.

 

[girasol]

I honestly though Neymar ankle's broke after the mexican played stepped on it! (given how Neymar was acting) the Mexican player did step on it, they showed on replay. It was on purpose too by the looks of it, so I guess Neymar's exaggeration was how he dealt with the attack.

 

[editor]

This is about right:

Football is not a popularity contest. Winners have no need to curry favour beyond their fanbase. And this Brazilian side have the steely look of champions, the way they played in the Samara sauna suggesting they might be without flaw. Except this one: if they are to win the World Cup, their success will be tarnished by the pitiful interjections of their superb forward.

In truth Neymar’s play-acting at this World Cup has been little short of scandalous. He was by turns brilliant and ridiculous here in Samara, by turns wonderful athlete and childish ego. And, after he attempted a bold bid for a Golden Globe rather then the Golden Boot by rolling around as if under sniper fire following the lightest of pecks on his shin from the Mexico’s substitute Miguel Layun, if the Mexican coach Juan Carlos Osorio is right, it might be a while before he is welcome to holiday in Cancun.

“Unfortunately, and I think it’s a shame for football, we wasted a lot of time because of the behaviour of one single player,” complained Osorio. “It is a man’s sport, there shouldn’t be so much acting.”

The oddity about Neymar’s undignified thespian spoiling is that it seems so unnecessary. Because he is part of a very smart Brazil team. Here they were up against a Mexican team determined to advance to the quarter-finals after seven successive defeats in the World Cup’s last 16. The gap in talent between the two sides was evident in the line ups: while Brazil’s is filled with representatives from Real Madrid and PSG, Mexico’s come from Real Betis and PSV.

Neymar's embarrassing play-acting overshadows superb Brazil victory over Mexico

 

[elbows]

I love the creativity of people on the internets.