Normally, it would be horrible news to football fans anywhere that their team’s star player was injured. But even as they endured an anguished wait for a Neymar-less Brazil to score in their 1-0 win over Switzerland Monday, some Brazilians found it hard to miss the injured superstar, who has promised to dedicate his first World Cup goal to far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.

Watching the match in a packed bar in central Rio de Janeiro, where fans decked out in yellow and green waited nervously for what turned out to be the lone goal — scored in the 83rd minute, by Casemiro — 23-year-old law student Henrique Melo explained his dilemma.

As a football fan, he desperately wanted Neymar back from the ankle injury that sidelined him late in Brazil’s 2-0 win over Serbia Thursday, in which the Paris Saint-Germain star sparkled despite failing to find the goal.

“The team are missing him,” Melo said, proudly sporting the football-mad nation’s jersey.

At the same time, the fact that the world’s most expensive footballer has yet to score in the tournament “is the best result Brazil’s had in the World Cup,” he joked.

“We would have had all these Bolsonaro supporters celebrating,” Melo, a proud supporter of leftist president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, told AFP.

“As a player, Neymar’s incredible — he’s an artist. As a person, he leaves a lot to be desired. Not just his political opinions, but who he is. Instead of just enjoying his bling lifestyle, he could be investing in education, social projects, setting an example for kids… He could be the man.”

On Rio’s iconic Copacabana beach, where a huge crowd watched the match on a giant screen, 29-year-old vendor Tainara Santana was feeling the same quandary.

“I like football, so I want (Neymar) to play because he’s good. But I can’t say I’m sad he hasn’t scored. It’s great to see Neymar fail,” she laughed.

With his lean good looks and huge social media following, Neymar is one of the biggest names in sports.

But his footballing magic has been tarnished at times.

On the pitch, critics accuse the 30-year-old Paris Saint-Germain star of diving and of failing to live up to the hype when it counts. Off the pitch, he has faced accusations of excessive partying, tax fraud and spoiled behavior.

“He’s a jerk,” Santana said.

“Not just for his politics, but because of his machismo, his ego, his total lack of humility.”

‘How low have we sunk?’

Brazil’s campaign for a record-extending sixth World Cup comes on the heels of its divisive elections last month.

Neymar endorsed Bolsonaro against Lula — and became the target of an army of “Neymar haters” online.

At the weekend, “F*** Neymar” became one of the top trending topics in Brazil on Twitter.

Brazilian football legend Ronaldo rushed to Neymar’s defense Sunday.

“You’re f***ing Neymar! Giant!” the two-time World Cup winner wrote on Instagram Sunday.

“That’s why you have to deal with so much envy and evil, to the point of people celebrating your injury. How low have we sunk?” he said, urging Neymar to “use that hate as fuel.”

Teammates Casemiro and Raphinha also stuck up for Neymar, saying he didn’t deserve the shade he was getting on social media.

Brazil have struggled in the past without Neymar — notably enduring the shame of their 7-1 elimination by Germany on home soil in the 2014 World Cup semi-finals after their talisman suffered a back injury.

In Copacabana, Lula supporter Charleo Luis just wanted to keep politics and football separate.

Neymar haters “are idiots who know nothing about football,” said the 24-year-old street vendor.

“Who cares if he supports Bolsonaro? He’s a great player. I’m a huge fan, I love him. I’m rooting for him to recover.”

The World Cup, he added, “is a time for us to cheer like one big family.”

Source: AFP

Cameroon kept their hopes of making the last 16 of the World Cup alive on Monday after fighting back from two goals down to draw a thrilling Group G encounter with Serbia 3-3.

Rigobert Song’s team looked almost dead and buried after goals from Strahinja Pavlovic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Aleksandar Mitrovic gave Serbia a 3-1 lead early in the second half.

But substitute Vincent Aboubakar and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting snatched a draw with two quick-fire strikes just after the hour mark to leave both Cameroon and Serbia on a single point, two behind group leaders Brazil and Switzerland.

Had they lost, Cameroon would have been relying on the Swiss beating Brazil in order to not be eliminated with a game to spare, but instead the west Africans still have a chance of getting out of the group stage for the first time since 1990.

Cameroon have a tough task ahead as they play Brazil in their final match, which according to reports they will play without first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana who was dropped from the matchday squad just hours before kick-off following an unspecified disciplinary issue.

Media reports suggest that Onana has been sent home from the World Cup after a disagreement with Song, but that pre-match turmoil didn’t stop Cameroon putting in a fighting display against a Serbia team who probably deserved to win on the balance of play.

Mitrovic was almost invisible in Serbia’s defeat to Brazil but here he was involved from kick-off, the Fulham forward unlucky not to give Serbia the lead in the 11th minute when he crashed a shot off the post from a tight angle following a neat exchange of passes with Dusan Tadic.

Lions comeback

But Mitrovic only had himself to blame for not opening the scoring six minutes later, shanking an awful first-time finish wide when, after a mix up in the Cameroon defence, the ball dropped at his feet with only Onana’s replacement Devis Epassy to beat.

And Castelletto punished the Serbs for Mitrovic’s miss in the 29th minute with the simplest of finishes after ghosting in at the back post to meet Nicolas Nkoulou’s flick-on at a corner.

Pierre Kunde then passed up a golden opportunity to double Cameroon’s lead in the 43rd minute when he first shot straight at goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic and then smashed the rebound wide.

It was Cameroon’s turn to be undone at a set-piece as the half crept into first-half stoppage time when Pavlovic brilliantly headed home Dusan Tadic’s floated free-kick.

The Serbs’ tails were up and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic flipped the match on its head two minutes later with a superb left-footed finish after Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa sloppily gave the ball away just outside his own penalty area.

Mitrovic finally had the goal his strong display deserved seven minutes after the break, tapping in Andrija Zivkovic’s pass unopposed at the end of beautiful move guided by Milinkovic-Savic and Tadic.

The match looked over but from nowhere Cameroon sprung back into life thanks to Aboubakar’s odd goal.

The Al Nassr forward raced through onto Castelletto’s launched pass over the top and scooped an improbable finish over the Serbia ‘keeper, beaming with delight after his goal was awarded following a VAR check.

Aboubakar’s pace caused Serbia all kinds of problems and he laid on Choupo-Moting’s leveller, bursting down the right and laying on a simple finish for the Bayern Munich forward which sparked wild celebrations on the pitch and in the stands.

Neither side could find a winner in an end-to-end finish to the game and their bids to make the knockouts will go down to the final game.

Source:  AFP

Cameroon and Serbia go into Monday’s Group G match knowing that anything less than a victory could send them packing from the World Cup by the time Brazil and Switzerland play later in the day.

Serbia are bottom of the group after losing 2-0 to pre-tournament favourites Brazil while Cameroon’s 1-0 loss to Switzerland means the African side are still seeking their first victory in the World Cup since 2002.

The match arguably gives both Cameroon and Serbia their best chances of opening their account in Qatar.

But a loss for either team – combined with a draw between Brazil and Switzerland – would prematurely bring the curtains down on their campaign, with nothing to play for but pride in their final group game on Dec. 2.

Cameroonian Football Federation president Samuel Eto’o, the last player to score a winner for the country in the World Cup 20 years ago, predicted his team would reach the final but a five-match winless run since September says otherwise.

This is a fairly young Cameroon team with little to no World Cup experience, however.

Although they did give a good account of themselves against the Swiss, coach Rigobert Song has promised improvement.

“The mistakes that were made (against Switzerland) will not be made again in the next game,” he said after the opening loss.

On the other hand, Serbia have a well-drilled unit that prevented Brazil from making inroads in the first half before they were carved open in the second following a drop in intensity.

“The impression is that we started the second half with too much respect for the Brazilian national team and that cost us a positive result,” Serbia’s national team director Stevan Stojanovic said.

“Somehow we raised our hands prematurely in surrender, which in the past was not characteristic of this generation.”

Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic lamented the fact that his key players such as top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic were not fully fit.

But they will be glad to have got Brazil out of the way nice and early, and he has promised change in the next two games.

“We have to face that fact. It’s defeating to not have 100% of all your players… You will see a different team (against Cameroon),” Stojkovic said with a reassuring tone.

Source: Reuters

England missed a chance to book their place in the World Cup last 16 as Gareth Southgate’s side produced a limp display in their 0-0 draw against the United States on Friday.

Southgate’s men would have been guaranteed to advance from Group B with a victory in their second game of the tournament, but they rarely troubled a determined US team.

Having thrashed Iran 6-2 on Monday, England lacked the urgency they showed in their opening game and were booed off at full-time.

They managed just one shot on target and could easily have conceded in the first half when the US were in control for long periods at the Al Bayt Stadium.

For the third time in three World Cup meetings with the US, England failed to live up to their status as favourites.

After a shocking defeat in the 1950 tournament and a 1-1 draw in 2010, this was another defiant American effort against England, cooling some of the hype around the Three Lions following the Iran rout.

Although it was an extremely underwhelming performance from England, they are still in control of their own destiny.

A draw in their final group game against Wales on November 29 would ensure England progress to the knockout stages, while a victory would seal first place.

The US, who have drawn their first two games, play Iran on the same day knowing a win would send them into last 16.

Gregg Berhalter’s group are the second youngest team at the World Cup, but a day after America celebrated Thanksgiving they left sluggish England looking like they were the ones who had indulged in too much turkey.

With Harry Kane and Harry Maguire recovered from an ankle injury and illness respectively, England named an unchanged team for the first time since the 2018 World Cup semi-final defeat against Croatia.

But, whereas England dominated possession against timid Iran from the opening moments, they found the US far more willing to press higher up the pitch.

Laboured England

The US desire to engage England briefly left space in behind them and Jude Bellingham’s buccaneering run and pass freed Bukayo Saka down the right side of the US area.

Saka’s cross reached Kane, whose goalbound shot was blocked by Walker Zimmerman.

That near-miss proved a mirage in the desert for England as Haji Wright, a surprise selection in place of Josh Sargent, had the Americans’ first sight of goal with a well-timed run into the area for a header that whistled wide.

It was a warning that the US could trouble England and moments later Weston McKennie should have put them ahead.

Timothy Weah’s cross from wide on the right eluded the flat-footed England defence and the unmarked McKennie pulled the trigger from 10 yards, only to fire just wide of the relieved Pickford’s goal.

Showing no signs of being intimidated by England, Berhalter’s side were inches away from turning the enterprising display into a stunning lead when Christian Pulisic jinked into space and lashed a rising drive against the crossbar from just inside the area.

Giving the ball away far too easily and laboured in their build-up play, England looked rattled and Pulisic tested their fraying nerves with a header that glanced wide.

In a rare moment of menace from England, Saka’s pass found Mason Mount and the Chelsea’s midfielder low drive from 20 yards brought a first save from US keeper Matt Turner.

Epitomising the US spirit that was such a contrast to England’s lethargy, Tyler Adams crunched into a tackle on Saka, winning the ball and roaring in delight afterwards.

England remained stuck in first gear yet Kane nearly snatched an undeserved winner in stoppage time when he headed wide from Luke Shaw’s free-kick.

Source: AFP

Iran ignored the distractions that have overshadowed the team since they landed in Qatar to get their World Cup campaign up and running as they rallied to beat sloppy Wales 2-0 on Friday, giving themselves a chance of reaching the knockout stage.

Iran were thrashed 6-2 by England in their Group B opener but those two goals against the table-toppers gave them the confidence that they could compete with European sides as they arrived at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium with a point to prove.

The Asian team has never got past the group stage at five previous World Cups but Carlos Queiroz’s players will now fancy their chances after an impressive display as they punished a Welsh side that was reduced to 10 men late in the second half.

“We played today with amazing character, which is the profile of our team. We played with a sense of unity, cohesion,” said Queiroz, who was thrown into the air by his players after the full-time whistle.

“Sometimes you lose your dignity, your honour, but of course in our first game we were bleeding in our pride. This was an opportunity to rebound… We played brilliantly and deserved to win.”

Even before the match had kicked off, the focus was firmly on the players as they sang the national anthem, having refrained from doing so in their opening game in apparent support for protesters back home.

But once the referee blew the whistle for kickoff, they were laser focused on the job at hand and immediately got stuck in, asking questions of Wales as both sides deployed different formations to set up an intriguing tactical battle.

Leading strikers Sardar Azmoun and Mehdi Taremi both ply their trade in Europe and Queiroz, who had opted for just one forward against England, paired them up front to keep the Welsh defence pegged back and on their toes throughout the game.

Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand missed the game after suffering a concussion and a broken nose against England and his replacement Seyed Hossein Hosseini was very much up to the task against Wales despite shipping six goals in the opener.

A cagey start saw Iran fire their first warning shot when they had a goal disallowed for offside but that was enough to sow doubts into the Wales camp while it gave Iran belief that Rob Page’s side was there for the taking.

Wales panic

After a goalless first half, it was barely minutes into the second period when Iran burst into life as Azmoun and Ali Gholizadeh hit the woodwork within seconds of each other while Saeid Ezatolahi also had an attempt saved.

That sowed panic in the Welsh side that was visibly tiring in the heat and it came to a head when goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey charged out of his box and took out Taremi with a high knee, as he received a red card for his troubles.

The sending off was the invitation Iran needed to burst forward with renewed vigour and, with nine minutes of stoppage time added on, they floored Wales with a deadly one-two punch to leave the Welsh fans in the stands in tears.

“We were ready mentally,” goalscorer Roozbeh Cheshmi said. “We had a lot of chances to score but eventually we were able to win and get three points, this was because of solidarity of the players that we were able to achieve this result.”

Wales manager Robert Page could only look on helplessly as his players failed to implement his plans, with Kieffer Moore and Gareth Bale barely seeing the ball while the experienced Aaron Ramsey failed to influence the game from midfield.

Page had decided to start Moore after his impressive second-half performance against the United States.

But it backfired as the physically imposing striker did not make an impact apart from an early shot on goal that was well saved by Hosseini at point-blank range, arguably Wales’ best chance of the game.

“I always take responsibility, that’s my team,” Page said.

“The sending off didn’t help, of course, but at that point we had five forwards on the pitch, so couldn’t get a defensive shape.”

Source: Reuters

Argentina football greats on Friday set off a day of World Cup tributes to the “immortal” Diego Maradona on the second anniversary of his death.

Fans unfurled Maradona flags on Doha’s seafront and gathered at a South American confederation (CONMEBOL) ceremony alongside former players including Argentina World Cup winners Mario Kempes and Alberto Tarantini.

Maradona died of a heart attack on November 25, 2020 at the age of 60, setting off a wave of deep mourning across the football world.

The Argentine played in four World Cups, lifting the trophy in 1986 when he scored his “Hand of God” goal against England but he was kicked out of the 1994 tournament after failing a drug test.

“His death is something Argentina has never got over,” said Daniel Luque, who unfurled a flag with Maradona’s portrait at the World Cup countdown clock early Friday.

“He was a player and a phenomenon. His troubles just made him even more a man of the people. If he had stood for president he would have won,” added the 47-year-old.

Some fans shouted “Viva Diego” as South American confederation president Alejandro Dominguez and FIFA chief Gianni Infantino paid their tributes at the CONMEBOL fan zone.

Dominguez and Infantino both called Maradona “immortal”. The FIFA boss said he would like a ceremony for the player at every World Cup.

“I am Italian and an Inter fanatic, so I am neither Argentinian nor from Napoli and Diego made Inter cry many times, Italy too, but we love him,” said Infantino.

“Hopefully God is playing with him,” said Tarantini, a defender in the side that won the 1978 World Cup.

“We all keep remembering him on the pitch, but off the pitch he was better,” Tarantini, 66, told the ceremony.

Kempes, an attacking midfielder in the 1978 side, described Maradona as an “excellent” character who “destabilised you in all senses.”

“If you knew him you thought he would do one thing, but he would do completely the opposite — that is genius,” the 68-year-old told reporters.

Maradona fans planned an event at a fan zone devoted to the Argentine at Doha’s international airport later Friday.

Source: AFP