NEYMAR DOUBTS
Expensive star still key for Brazil
A BRUISED Neymar will aim to put Brazil’s World Cup campaign back on track tonight as the pretournament favourite seeks to reassert its title credentials with victory over Costa Rica.
Neymar was given a rough ride in Brazil’s disappointing 1-1 draw with Switzerland, fouled 10 times, the most for any player in a single World Cup game for 20 years.
The world’s most expensive player then set alarm bells ringing when he hobbled out of training on Tuesday. However, he returned to the training pitch 48 hours before the clash in Saint Petersburg.
Even before his latest setback, there were doubts over Neymar’s fitness going into the World Cup after a three-month layoff.
The Switzerland clash was his first competitive game for almost four months after a broken bone in his right foot ended his club season with Paris Saint-Germain in February.
To the frustration of many in the French capital, Neymar returned home for much of his recovery process with the intention of being fully fit for the World Cup.
However, questions remain whether he is lacking match practice.
Brazil looked to its talisman time and again in the final stages in Rostovon-Don, but he failed to find the final pass or finish to unlock a well-organised Switzerland defence.
Instead, it was Philippe Coutinho who had Brazil’s campaign off to a flying start with a long-range strike to open the scoring.
In contrast to Neymar, Coutinho ended the season in sensational form for Barcelona.
Should Neymar not be fit, he could be moved into his role on the left of a front three with Tite bolstering his midfield.
However, Coutinho insists Neymar remains the key figure in Brazil’s pursuit of World Cup glory.
“Neymar is one of the best players in the world. Of course having him in our side is a big plus for us,” he said.
“He is so important. He is always creating the play, creating space.”
Brazil was not only unhappy with the treatment meted out to Neymar, but also Switzerland’s equaliser when the video assistant referee system failed to rule out Steven Zuber’s equaliser for a slight push on Miranda.
Needing to relieve the pressure with a win, Brazil could hardly have picked better opposition in Los Ticos, which has only beaten Brazil once in 10 meetings, back in 1960.
Costa Rica shocked England, Italy and Uruguay four years ago, but need the points after losing 1-0 to Serbia.
But captain Bryan Ruiz believes it can follow Switzerland’s example to cause another upset.
“Switzerland pressed them in midfield and that’s what you need to do because Brazil are best from midfield going forward,” the Sporting Lisbon attacker said.