Brazil striker Neymar's World Cup is over and the loss of their
talisman and top goalscorer to injury leaves manager Luiz Felipe Scolari
with a big headache ahead of their semi-final against Germany on
Tuesday.
Neymar was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament in which he had
scored four goals after fracturing a vertebra in the closing stages of
the 2-1 quarter-final win over Colombia on Friday.
Few players in the 23-man squad have Neymar's ability to change a game
with a jink, a pass or a perfectly flighted free kick and centre
forwards Fred or Jo do not pose the same threat in front of goal.
Scolari's options are limited.
Fernandinho could play further forward ahead of Paulinho and Luiz
Gustavo, who will be back from suspension, or Scolari could opt to play
Jo and Fred together up front for the first time and use Hulk and Oscar
as more conventional midfielders rather than the midfielders-cum-wingers
they are now.
Perhaps more likely is the entry of one of the two attacking midfielders, Bernard or Willian.
Although Bernard is only 21, he gives the side both width and pace and
Scolari is a big fan, having famously said "he has joy in his legs."
Willian is also on form, having fought his way into the squad at the
last minute after an excellent season with Chelsea in the English
Premier League.
"My bet is Willian," Carlos Alberto Torres, captain of the side that won
the World Cup in 1970, told Sportv. "He has talent and he comes back to
mark too. I can't see anyone that can substitute Neymar better than
Willian."
Whoever comes in, the focus will inevitably move to the collective and Brazil will be forced to pull together.
"They (Germany) know that our team is not just Neymar, that we play well collectively as a team," Oscar said.
"I think we have other individuals. They know it is a loss for us, of course, but they also know to respect Brazil.
"We'll miss him... but we can't be sad, we're in the semi final of the
World Cup. We played a good game today and whoever comes in in his place
has to play as part of the team and beat Germany."
Other players said Neymar's exit could serve as an incentive for a team
seeking to win their sixth World Cup and their first on home soil.
"It's at times like these when the team shows its strength," said
captain Thiago Silva, who will miss the semi-final after picking up a
second yellow card against Colombia.
"Neymar is a very important guy for our group, we depend a lot on him...
but potentially, this situation can mark a revolution for us, like
'let's win the cup for Neymar, because of this injury... This could help
bring together the team even more."

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