The star didn’t even get the possibility to fluff his strains.
‘The fifth penalty is the decisive one,’ coach Tite defined when requested why Neymar was chosen to take the ultimate spot-kick that by no means was.
‘There’s extra stress. The gamers which can be extra mentally ready ought to take this penalty kick.’
Brazil are out of the World Cup after dropping on penalties to Croatia in Friday’s quarter closing
Neymar appeared distraught after the sport and didn’t take a penalty within the shoot-out
It appears like sound judgement. However saving the most effective till final solely works if what final is and, on a crushing evening on the Schooling Metropolis Stadium, devastated Brazil solely discovered that out when it was too late.
Hindsight is 20/20 and they won’t have seen this coming. Maybe they need to. Croatia have received their final 4 penalty shoot-outs on the World Cup. An astonishing report and one which deserved respect.
To take them to 5 would have been an achievement in itself. Neymar has taken 88 penalties in his profession, scoring 73 at an 82.5 per cent conversion charge. There are lots of who will imagine he ought to have stepped up sooner to keep away from not stepping up in any respect, though others could level to the spot-kick that received the Olympics on house soil in 2016.
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic knew. ‘When it goes to penalties, Croatia win,’ he mentioned. They usually did. There was to be no repeat of the quarter-final’s dancing right here. Distraught Neymar, who will probably be 34 subsequent time round, could now solely be left to ponder a final Tango in Paris (Saint-Germain).
For Tite, this turned out to be his personal final dance, as he had promised pre-tournament.
‘The cycle ended and I mentioned that one-and-a-half years in the past and I hold to my phrase,’ he mentioned. ‘We can not make a drama. There are different nice professionals that may exchange me. The cycle is over.’
Regrets? He could have a couple of. However he was not for divulging right here.
‘We should be able to share our pleasure and keen to share our disappointment,’ he mentioned.
‘There’s a new technology of gamers that may present power in adversity. I perceive I’m essentially the most accountable. I can’t be a hypocrite however we’re all accountable.
Marquinhos missed what turned out to be the ultimate penalty, as Croatia superior to the semis
‘It’s not about heroes or villains, there’s not such factor in sport. That’s soccer. Generally win, typically lose. Generally an important efficiency. Generally kick to the purpose and the ball deviates. I respect the consequence.’
In Thursday’s press convention one of many Brazilian journalists had declared that he and his friends had been right here to work, to not cheerlead, and was given a spherical of applause. The questions stored coming. Why had been they disorganised? Are you unhappy? Outraged?
‘I perceive the ache and I perceive the criticism,’ Tite responded.
Dalic had earlier bemoaned the shortage of applause when he made his manner into the press convention. It will have been his solely grievance of the night.
‘We’re a small nation and received towards the nice favourites,’ he mentioned. ‘I congratulate my gamers, they’re nice fighters. Now we have power to maneuver on and now we’re within the semi-final.
It nicely be a second consecutive World Cup semi closing for the facet, who had been runners up in 2018
‘We demonstrated what it means to not give up. We demonstrated what Croatia is. We’re within the semi-final and we’re a small nation. They’re nice fighters – solely Croats can try this.’
Dalic, who hailed ‘unbelievable’ 37-year-old Luka Modric, doubled down on his earlier, unimpressed feedback on Brazil’s dance strikes. ‘Yesterday I mentioned on the press convention I wouldn’t need my gamers to bop,’ he deadpanned, earlier than waxing lyrical in regards to the shapes thrown by his personal males on the sector.
Certainly Dalic was misplaced for phrases solely as soon as, when requested by Sportsmail if he was shocked that Neymar was left to final to take a penalty.
As an alternative of answering he shrugged, after which smiled. It mentioned all of it.
