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FIFA World Cup 2014: Neymar Thankful He's Not in a Wheelchair Now
Neymar Jr Injury
Brazil star striker Neymar cried as he recalled the injury, saying "God blessed" him and prevented a more serious injury. Neymar had to stop talking for several seconds, lowering his head and putting a hand in front of his eyes.
Brasilia, Brazil: Neymar became emotional when talking Thursday about the injury that ruled him out of the World Cup, saying that if the knee to his back had been slightly more to one side he "could be in a wheelchair" right now.
The Brazil striker cried as he recalled the injury, saying "God blessed" him and prevented a more serious injury. Neymar had to stop talking for several seconds, lowering his head and putting a hand in front of his eyes.
"It's difficult to talk about a move that (happened) in such an important moment of my career," he said.
Neymar fractured his third vertebra when defender Juan Camilo Zuniga hit him from behind in a challenge late in the quarterfinal match against Colombia.
"If it had been 2 centimeters to the center...," he said, struggling to stay composed. "I could be in a wheelchair."
The 22-year-old striker complained about Zuniga's challenge, although he said the Colombian called to apologize.
"I don't know if he was trying to hurt me, but if you understand football you know that it was not a normal challenge," Neymar said. "I can't protect myself when I'm not facing the play. The only thing that can protect me from someone coming from behind are the rules. I couldn't protect myself and I ended getting hurt."
Neymar had been recovering at home but returned to the team's training camp on Thursday. He will travel with the squad to Brasilia to support them in the third-place match against the Netherlands on Saturday.
Neymar said the injury led to "the worst week of his life," one that culminated - in his absence - with Brazil's 7-1 thrashing by Germany in the semifinals. He said he didn't know how to explain what happened, and that it would be "unfair for this group" to be remembered by that result alone.
"It would have been all right to lose, but not like this. It was unbelievable, inexplicable," Neymar said. "I don't have the words to explain what happened."
He said the loss was "part of football," and that he thought Brazil had the potential to rebound and win the next World Cup.
"We can't lower our heads," he said. "It will hurt for a long time, but better days will come."
He wished luck to Germany and Argentina in Sunday's final, but said he hopes the South Americans will come out on top. He plays at Barcelona with Argentina stars Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano.
"I'm not cheering for Argentina, I'm cheering for my teammates," he said.
Neymar said that it would be good for football to have Messi winning a world title.
"He deserves to be a world champion," he said. "I'm Messi Football Club."
Miroslav Klose becomes all-time World Cup scoring leader
Klose record at World Cup |
| Germany's Miroslav Klose scored his 16th career World Cup goal in his team's win over Brazil in the semifinals on Tuesday. |
Miroslav Klose found perhaps the only way to make matters worse for Brazil.
On a night when Germany thumped the host nation 7-1 in the World Cup semis, Klose became the tournament's all-time record goal scorer — beating Brazil great Ronaldo.
Klose scored Germany's 2nd goal in the 23rd minute, taking his tally to 16 career World Cup goals. It broke the mark of 15 goals he shared with the retired Ronaldo.
Klose scored after a corner by Kroos. His 1st effort was stopped by Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar, but he calmly stroked the rebound home.
The 36-year-old Lazio striker, playing in his 4th World Cup, also scored in Germany's 2-2 draw with Ghana in the group stage when he came off the bench to get Germany back into the contest.
Germans kick Brazil out, move to Final
FIFA World Cup 2014
Brazil 1 - 7 Germany
Germany have advanced to the FIFA World Cup Final with a sensational 7-1 drubbing of Brazil at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte. The brilliance of Joachim Low's side was matched only by the ineptitude of the hosts, who suffered their heaviest-ever defeat and became the first team to concede seven in a knockout match at the world finals.
Most of the pre-match coverage had focused on the impact of Neymar's absence but, once the game got underway, it was clear that Thiago Silva - Brazil's captain and defensive rock - was the man they would miss most. Without him, A Seleção's defending was shambolic, with Germany able to slice their way through at will.
The tone was set by the opening goal after just 11 minutes, when Thomas Muller was allowed to steal in completely unmarked to casually volley home from Tony Kroos's outswinging corner. But there was no lesson learned. The hosts' defence continued to afford Germany's forwards the freedom of the penalty area, and it was no surprise when they were ruthlessly punished again 12 minutes later.
Salt was rubbed in Brazilian wounds by the identity of the goalscorer, with Miroslav Klose not only doubling the Germans' lead, but taking his World Cup tally to 16 to surpass Seleção legend Ronaldo as the tournament's record scorer. Again, the marking was non-existent, with the Lazio striker allowed two shots from close range, the first of which was blocked by Julio Cesar, with the second slotted routinely inside the right-hand post.
It was the spark for an incredible six-minute period, during which the Brazilian net bulged four times. Next up, with the pick of Germany's goals, was Tony Kroos, who crashed in a first-time left-foot shot from the edge of the area after Muller had mis-kicked from Philipp Lahm's low cross. The Bayern Munich midfielder was impressive throughout and, a minute later, he made it 3-0 with another goal that owed much to Brazil's hesitant defending.
The guilty man on this occasion was Fernandinho, who allowed himself to be robbed by Kroos midway inside his own half and could only watch as the Germany No18 exchanged passes with Sami Khedira before passing into the net with Julio Cesar stranded. Even at this early stage, it was clear that the game was over as a contest, but though the Mineirao crowd was stunned, there was much, much worse to follow.
Germany's fifth goal was a near carbon copy of their fourth, though with Khedira the finisher rather then the supplier, side-footing confidently home from Mesut Ozil's pass. Brazil had not conceded five goals in a World Cup match since 1938, and while they won on that occasion - beating Poland 6-5 - there was never any chance of a comeback here.
Indeed, It took until the second half for Brazil to provide any kind of response, and even then they found Manuel Neuer in typically imposing form. The German keeper has been one of the players of the tournament and he again shone, first in blocking Oscar's outside-of-the-foot shot and then in pulling off a fantastic double save from substitute Paulinho when a goal seemed certain.
As it was, when the net next bulged, it was a German replacement who was celebrating. Again, the ease with which the Europeans scored was staggering, with Lahm given time and space to pick out Thomas Schurrle for the most straightforward of close-range finishes. And Germany weren't finished yet, with Schurrle again finding acres of space to control and volley left-footed off the underside of the bar, completing the hosts' suffering. Oscar did score a fine last-minute goal, evading Jerome Boateng before shooting high beyond Neuer, but to describe it as a consolation would be stretching the truth.
It was merely the final act of a match that will be forever remembered by all who witnessed it, and which leaves Brazil to wallow in misery and Germany to plan a Maracana meeting with Argentina or the Netherlands.
