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TUESDAY, JULY 8, 2014 Neymar a victim of the World Cup show RIO DE JANEIRO: “I kept getting tripped up and football’s showcase tournament next visits these him but didn’t do enough to stop it. Neymar at this World Cup. Just one player so far got kicked to pieces ...,” said Brazil’s superstar player, shores. That wound can never be healed. That is being repeated across this World Cup. more, Chile’s Alexis Sanchez, with 36. FIFA’s tallies “and the referee did nothing to protect me or my Zuniga’s post-match explanation - “I didn’t mean There was no caution for Belgium players who also show Neymar was one of the most fouled play- teammates from these rough-house tactics.” to hurt him” - was as worthless as Brazil’s currency in hacked in succession at Lionel Messi’s legs as he ers. That is to be expected given that he runs at Neymar, describing how he was battered at this the days of hyperinflation. Zuniga may not have made a first-half run for goal in Saturday’s quarterfi- opponents and, as an attacker, is at the heart of the World Cup and is now out after a Colombian oppo- intended to break a bone. But any time anyone nal. The slow-motion was hypnotic, revolting, show- fray. But unexpected and alarming is why referees nent fractured his back? takes a running jump at the small of someone’s ing boots aiming not for the ball but for the calves, are being more lenient than they have been for No, this was Pele, recalling opponents’ vicious back with their knee raised like a battering ram, shins and ankles of the four-time world player of decades. According to FIFA, they have shown an fouls that hobbled him at the 1966 tournament, physical damage is likely, predictable and so also the year. The hatchet-men are so good, trained average of fewer than three yellow cards per game, part of what prompted a (later rescinded) vow from avoidable. At best, Zuniga was reckless. We would even, at hiding their destructive intent. They leave a rate lower than at any World Cup since Mexico in the king of futebol never to play in the World Cup call police and personal injury lawyers if someone seemingly innocent legs trailing like trip-wire. When 1986. again. In short, the warning signs that Neymar was charged us like this on the street, sending us to hos- they could land on grass, they instead come down “The bar for yellow cards has been set much too going to be targeted, that rival players without his pital. In football, Zuniga’s lack of care toward anoth- on opponents’ ankles and feet, fragile bones vulner- high,” retired Swiss referee Urs Meier, who officiated genius would use force to stop him because they er human being didn’t even earn him a caution. able in today’s ultra-light shoes. at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, wrote Saturday don’t have his skills, were decades old. They were FIFA and the Brazilian government needed so They tag-team, taking turns to foul particularly for the website of German weekly Focus. there for all to see in Brazil - except, clearly, for refer- badly for the football to be brilliant at this World gifted players to lessen the risks of a referee’s card “An awful lot is being tolerated,” he added. “No ees and FIFA officials who are as guilty as Cup. And it has been, partly because FIFA referees for repeat offending. They pretend to look else- one should be surprised that people are injured.” Colombian defender Juan Camilo Zuniga for are being lenient with fouls, not handing out as where when they thunder into a collision. When he But with FIFA’s referees curbing their interventions, Neymar’s ruined World Cup. They did too little to many cautions and red cards as they should and let- flattened Neymar, Zuniga was looking up at a ball games have been end-to-end and goals have protect the 22-year-old from football’s brutes, the ting play run on. That is what Spanish referee Carlos he was never going to get, because it was falling for rained in. FIFA President Sepp Blatter and Brazilian cynical masters of the dark art of kicking rivals Velasco Carballo did when Zuniga ended Neymar’s the Brazilian in his path. President Dilma Rousseff, both eyeing re-election, black, blue and out. World Cup, leaving him face down in agony on the And don’t fall for the myth that Brazil players are are delivering World Cup bread and circus. The pul- And now it’s too late. Time will mend Neymar’s pitch. But what Carballo didn’t do is as much of a above such cynicism. They targeted Neymar’s oppo- sating football has, for now, largely pushed aside fractured third vertebra. But it will never be able to concern. He blew for 54 fouls but handed out just site number for Colombia, James Rodriguez. bothersome questions about spending billions on give back the one chance he had to win the World four yellow cards, two to Brazilians and two to Watching two 22-year-olds being bullied was not stadiums and suspected corruption. Even without Cup on home soil. He will have retired whenever Colombians. In short, he saw ugly play all around pleasant. FIFA statistics counted 35 tackles on Neymar, the show must go on. — AP Loew’s big Brazil test RIO DE JANEIRO: Another semi-final is resulted in a 3-1 quarter-final win over another battle of nerves for Joachim Portugal en route to the final. Loew, who risks becoming Germany’s At the 2010 World Cup, Loew took the nearly man. After eight years in charge of youngest squad since 1934 to South Die Mannschaft, Loew so far has one pre- Africa and Germany swept aside England vious World Cup semi-final, the 2008 and Argentina before losing their semi- European Championship final and the final to eventual winners Spain. Pele Euro 2012 semi-final to show. No trophy. recently called Loew a “great tactician”, But the 54-year-old former assistant to while Maradona said that Germany Jurgen Klinnsman has brought on a team “roamed around with perfection” in their praised for its attacking play. And his tac- 4-0 group thrashing of Portugal. tics have been hailed by World Cup leg- Meanwhile, Brazil coach Luiz Felipe ends Pele and Diego Maradona. Scolari has vowed that his side will win Loew’s image is often seen in the World Cup final in Rio de Janeiro’s Germany where he fronts an advertising historic Maracana Stadium this week. campaign for a leading cosmetics brand, Now his reputation is on the line. but the head coach rarely appears in the Known as ‘Felipao’, or ‘Big Phil’, media spotlight. depending on which of the many coun- The German Football Association tries he has been working in, Scolari (DFB) likes the team boss. It has already managed the Brazil side that won the told him his job is safe and Loew is World Cup for a record fifth time in Japan expected to see out his contract which in 2002. If he succeeds again he will expires after Euro 2016. become only the second coach, after “What can be more beautiful in a foot- Italy’s Vittorio Pozzo (1934 and 1938), to ball dreamland than to play a World Cup win two World Cups. semi-final against the hosts?” Loew said But without star player Neymar as he of today’s game against Brazil. goes into a semi-final against Germany, But he also acknowledged before the Scolari knows his nation, still traumatised tournament that “the clock is ticking”. by their defeat to Uruguay in the 1950 Loew himself only made four appear- tournament it hosted, will not tolerate an ances for West Germany’s Under-21s and upset. “If I feared challenges, I wouldn’t have achieved anything in my career,” the 65-year-old said in an interview with Matches on TV British newspaper The Guardian in (Local Timings) November. Scolari said after the quarter final win TERESOPOLIS: Brazil’s Paulinho (center) fights for the ball with Thiago Silva (behind) and Luiz Gustavo during a practice session at the Granja against Colombia on Friday that his side Comary training center. — AP FIFA World Cup had “one hand” on the trophy. Scolari accepted the chance to return to the Brazil v Germany 23:00 national side in November 2012, after Mano Menezes was sacked. Germany out to down beIN SPORTS 1 HD Born in the southern state of Rio beIN SPORTS 2 HD Grande do Sul, Scolari was a limited play- beIN SPORTS 11 HD er, but he has distinguished himself as a beIN SPORTS 13 HD coach, travelling the world over the last Neymar-less Brazil beIN SPORTS 1 HD FR three decades. He has worked in Kuwait, Japan and Uzbekistan but has not been successful BELO HORIZONTE: Germany will meet tough- “Neymar sets the standard for us. He is capa- “It doesn’t matter how much experience you played as a midfielder for Eintracht everywhere-Chelsea’s demanding owner tackling Brazil head-on when football’s titans ble of deciding any game, so playing without have, to play the hosts in this football-crazy Frankfurt, Karlsruhe and VfB Stuttgart. Roman Abramovich sacked him after just clash in today’s World Cup semi-final with the him will be difficult,” said Willian.

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