He has seen little action since February, when he broke a bone in his ankle and opted for surgery to be fit in time for the World Cup. Neymar, on the other hand, is far from hitting his stride.
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He did that to perfection when he veered left with German defenders in pursuit and passed to Burruchaga who had a free run in the centre for the late winning goal in the final. When he was too heavily marked to score goals himself, he could draw defenders away and create chances for others. Diego Maradona’s Argentina of 1986 comes immediately to mind. It’s not as if a team can’t win a World Cup despite an over-dependence on one player. In the 18-game qualifying campaign for this World Cup, the only game Brazil lost was to Argentina, when Neymar did not play. Neymar did not play in that ignominious semi-final, having been carried out on a stretcher with a broken vertebra in the quarter-final against Colombia. So it is understandable that they look to Neymar for inspiration. This Brazilian side is less experienced than usual, with new coach Tite retaining only four players who took the field to be squashed 7-1 by Germany in the semifinal of the last World Cup at home. Then the chinks in the Brazilian team began to show.Īlmost every attacking move veered to the left, fixated on Neymar. And the goal from midfielder Philippe Coutinho matched that of Spain’s Nacho Fernandez for the best long-range strikes in this World Cup so far, not counting free kicks.Īfter that, Brazil’s free-flowing game stuttered against an organised and physically stronger Swiss side, emboldened by a lenient referee. The way they began promised a treat of old Ginga style Brazilian dribbling. But Brazil also have themselves to blame for their inability to overcome the Swiss tactics and refereeing.