Miguel Layún came on at halftime for Mexico and immediately set about making life difficult for Neymar. After a handful of physical challenges between the two, the El Tri defender stepped on the Brazilian No. 10 on the sidelines. Should red have been shown for the Layun stomp on Neymar? Or did the latter deserve red for flopping around like a dead fish?
Brazilian soccer players have often gone by one name for more than a century. In the 2018 World Cup, 15 of Brazil's 23 players typically are referred to by a single name. For most players, it means simply going by their first name, like Neymar, or a derivative of their first name, like Marquinhos (Marcos). The practice makes Brazil stand out from most national teams, and there are a few explanations for why Brazil soccer players have just one name.
The great news for Mexico is that South Korea’s shock upset of Germany kept El Tri in the tournament. The bad news is that it’s Brazil lying in wait in the Round of 16. The even worse news? That right-hand side of Mexico that just got torched by Emil Forsberg and Ludwig Augustinsson now has to stop Neymar and Philippe Coutinho. The only real news of comfort for the backtracking Miguel Layun is that Marcelo might not be there.
There’s a bar that is giving out shots every time Neymar takes a dive. After the absurd Neymar roll against Serbia, they’re probably all dead now.
For the second straight match, Neymar has made a fool of himself. Against Costa Rica he made this horrible dive. It inspired a bar in Rio de Janeiro to offer free drinks every time Neymar falls over.
Brazil's five World Cup titles are most all time, and it's no coincidence that it has produced some of the best soccer players to ever play 'jogo bonito,' the beautiful game. Pele is a consensus No. 1 on the list of the greatest Brazlian players, but where do Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and 26-year-old Neymar rank?
“Crying and tears may be favored by natural selection because they bring about helping behavior by the spectator. This helping behavior is explained by the assumption that crying and tears ‘imitate’ some of the perceivable characteristics of a baby that has just been born.” — Frans Roes
Neymar had a rough start to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Against Switzerland he was pounded with repeated fouls in an eventual disappointing draw. Against Costa Rica, the Concacaf side frustrated Neymar and his teammates for 90 minutes, Brazil’s star man even attempting an ill-fated flop or two. In the end, thanks in part to Philippe Coutinho, Brazil prevailed and we got to see some sweet Neymar skills in the final minutes.