Gremio coach: Even Stevie Wonder saw it was a penalty!

“For those who don’t know, Stevie Wonder is blind”

Grêmio head coach Renato Gaúcho was not happy after his team’s 4-4 draw against Corinthians on Monday night.

How unhappy was Renato? Let’s just call it “invoking Stevie Wonder’s lack of eyesight” unhappy.

The coach’s anger stemmed from a late penalty shout for his side that went uncalled, as Grêmio forward Ferreira’s cross hit Corinthians forward Yuri Alberto in the arm in second-half stoppage time.

The referee waved away Grêmio protests, and no VAR review was undertaken.

After his side was denied a late chance for a winner, Renato went off in his post-game press conference, catching the 73-year-old pop icon with a stray.

“It’s unacceptable that the penalty wasn’t given. The Corinthians players themselves said it was a penalty. I saw it in three seconds. The whole of Brazil witnessed this disgrace. Everyone saw it. Even Stevie Wonder saw that it was a penalty,” the coach charged, before helpfully adding: “For those who don’t know, Stevie Wonder is blind.”

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Neymar breaks Pele’s Brazil goalscoring record

The 31-year-old surpassed the all-time legend with his 78th and 79th international goals

Neymar has broken Pelé’s all-time Brazil men’s national team scoring record, netting his 78th and 79th career goals for the Seleção in a 5-1 win over Bolivia on Friday.

The record-breaking 78th goal came in the 61st minute of the World Cup qualifier in Belém, Brazil. Rodrygo got on the end of a cross and shifted around a Bolivia defender before being taken down, with the ball falling kindly for Neymar to slot home.

Neymar’s goal made it 4-0, with Brazil ultimately winning 5-1 after the forward added another goal late in stoppage time to reach 79 career international strikes.

The 31-year-old, who recently joined Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, has set the record in 125 caps, with his record-tying 77th goal coming in a World Cup quarterfinal defeat to Croatia last year.

Though FIFA credits Neymar with owning the record, the Brazilian federation still insists that the late Pelé actually scored 95 goals for Brazil, not 77.

The discrepancy comes from matches Brazil played against club sides, which FIFA does not count as official games.

In any case, everyone can at least agree that neither Pelé nor Neymar is actually the all-time leading goalscorer for the Brazil national team. The holder of that honor would be Marta, who has 115 goals.

Watch Neymar’s record-breaking goal

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Marta urges continued support after World Cup farewell: ‘For them, it’s just the beginning’

Marta wants you to keep watching women’s soccer

Marta may have played her final World Cup match, but she doesn’t see that as any reason to stop supporting Brazil or women’s soccer.

A stunning scoreless draw between As Canarinhas and Jamaica, the latest shock result in a tournament full of upsets, has ended the legendary Brazilian attacker’s tournament early.

Brazil entered this tournament as a threat to win the whole thing, which would have been the perfect storybook ending for Marta’s international career.

They started the World Cup off looking the part, capping off a 4-0 win over Panama with a gorgeous team goal that will not likely be matched as the tournament’s best. Next, they fell 2-1 to France in an electric atmosphere. Brazil played well in defeat, but that result meant they would have to beat Jamaica to get out of Group F.

The Reggae Girlz were considered longshots, but a third straight brilliant defensive effort got them the draw needed to advance for the first time ever. Just like that, an icon left the world stage for the last time.

(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Speaking in a post-game interview, Marta addressed the very mixed situation before her: a heartbreaking early exit, but also a tournament getting more attention than ever before, and a Brazil side that has started to show the benefits of more public support and investment.

“It’s hard to talk about this moment. Not even in my worst nightmares was it the World Cup I dreamed of. But, it’s just the beginning. The Brazilian people are asking for a renewal,” said Marta before gesturing towards her teammates. “There, is a renewal.”

At 37 and on a team packed with attacking talent good enough for any team in this World Cup, Marta had only played 20 minutes in Brazil’s first two games before starting against Jamaica. Up until very recently, that would have been unthinkable, but Marta would be the first to say that it’s because Brazil is getting better.

“I think I’m the only old lady [on this team]. Maybe [Tamires] is next to me,” joked Marta even as tears appeared in her eyes. “Most of them are girls who have a lot of talent who have a huge path ahead of them. It’s just the beginning for them. I’m done here, but they’re still here. And you asked for a renewal, there is a renewal.

“I want people in Brazil to continue to have the same enthusiasm they had when the World Cup started, to continue to support. Because things don’t happen overnight. We’re seeing here teams that came to the World Cup and took seven, eight, 10 [years], and they’re playing just like the big teams. This shows that women’s soccer has been growing. This shows that women’s soccer is a product that gives profit, that gives enjoyment to watch.”

The six-time World Player of the Year is no stranger to a big speech, having signed off from the 2019 World Cup with emotional remarks urging young players to dedicate themselves to replace and even surpass the game’s legends.

This time, Marta — who shortly before the tournament confirmed that this sixth World Cup would be her last — spoke to fans, urging Brazilians in particular to back women’s soccer.

“Keep supporting,” urged the most prolific goalscorer in World Cup history (women’s or men’s). “There is no more World Cup for Marta. I’m very grateful for the opportunity I had to play another World Cup. And I’m very happy with all that has been happening in women’s soccer in Brazil and the world. Keep supporting. Because for them, it’s just the beginning. For me, it’s the end of the line now. Thank you.”

Watch Marta’s emotional speech

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Brazil’s president has some questions over Carlo Ancelotti’s hiring

“He was never coach of Italy. Why doesn’t he solve the problem of Italy?”

Brazil president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, better known as Lula, has questioned Carlo Ancelotti’s impending appointment as Brazil national team head coach.

Brazilian federation president Ednaldo Rodrigues said earlier this week that Ancelotti would take charge next summer after his contract with Real Madrid expires.

Previous coach Tite resigned after Brazil lost to Croatia in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal.

Ancelotti has had massive success at the club level but has never taken charge of a national team before. Additionally, he’ll be the first foreign manager of the Seleção since 1964.

It seems those issues may have struck a chord with Brazil’s president, who suggested that Ancelotti may have been better off trying to fix his own national team’s problems.

“He was never coach of Italy. Why doesn’t he solve the problem of Italy, which didn’t even play in the last World Cup?” Lula asked in an interview with SBT News.

Lula, a Corinthians fan, added: “It’s very easy to lead a team in Europe with 11 national team players. It’s hard to get here and get [relegation-threatened] Corinthians. I want to see if Ancelotti would fix Corinthians. My Corinthians are suffering a lot.”

Lula also had praise for Fernando Diniz, who has been appointed Brazil’s interim manager on a one-year deal.

On Diniz, who will also keep his role with Fluminense, Lula said he has “personality, creativity and command of the locker room” and believes he “will make good use of” his opportunity.

Brazil has not won a World Cup since 2002, and Lula believes that the coach is not what’s holding the South American power back.

“The problem is that we don’t have the quality of players that we had in other times,” Lula said.

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Marta confirms 2023 World Cup will be her last

The legendary player is set for her sixth World Cup this summer

Legendary Brazil attacker Marta has said that the upcoming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand will be her last.

The 2023 tournament will be the sixth World Cup for Marta, who recovered from a torn ACL suffered last year to make Pia Sundhage’s 23-player squad.

Speaking to reporters in Brazil on Monday, the six-time FIFA World Player of the Year said it was “surreal” to be on the verge of playing in her sixth World Cup.

“Yes, it will be my last World Cup,” the 37-year-old said. “We have to understand that a time comes for us to prioritize other things.

“I just have to be thankful to have lived all those years in the national team. To have the opportunity to go to another World Cup, a sixth one, for me is something surreal.”

Marta made her World Cup debut in 2003, and has the record for the most all-time goals in the tournament with 17. The closest she and Brazil have come to lifting the trophy was in 2007, when they lost to Germany in the final.

Following her recovery from the knee injury, Marta has made 11 appearances in the NWSL this season for the Orlando Pride.

After naming her roster last week, Sundhage said she was unsure if Marta would be used as a starter or off the bench at the World Cup.

“Marta is the queen, she is an icon. Just being around her is contagious,” said Sundhage.

“If she will be in the starting lineup I don’t know, not yet. She will play the role I will give her and I am sure she will do well.”

Brazil has been drawn into Group F of the World Cup, along with France, Jamaica and Panama.

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Suarez says it’s ‘impossible’ he’ll join Messi at Inter Miami

The Uruguayan has put this rumor to bed

Lionel Messi may be getting the band back together at Inter Miami, but one of his former running mates is counting himself out.

After Messi’s bombshell confirmation this week that he will play for Inter Miami, various reports have linked three of his former Barcelona teammates with moves to join him in south Florida: Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suárez.

The first two may still join Inter Miami but Suárez, currently with Brazilian side Grêmio, has ruled himself out of a move to MLS.

“This is false, it is impossible,” Suarez told Uruguayan newspaper El Observador about talk of him moving to Inter Miami. “I am very happy at Grêmio and I have a contract until 2024.”

Suárez joined the Porto Alegre team in December 2022, signing a two-year contract after leaving Nacional in his native Uruguay.

The 36-year-old has continued to find the net with regularity in Brazil, scoring 11 goals for Grêmio through 24 appearances.

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Who needs Neymar when you have … Casemiro??

How many teams have a defensive midfielder that can score a winner like this?

Even for a team as good as Brazil, Neymar’s injury looms large over the rest of the team’s World Cup campaign.

The superstar suffered an ankle injury in Brazil’s opener against Serbia, forcing him out of Monday’s game against Switzerland amid reports he’s likely out for the rest of the group stage at least.

Brazil may feel Neymar’s absence as the tournament goes on if he’s unable to recover but on Monday, they gave us a reminder that they are still Brazil.

After all, how many teams at this tournament can turn to their defensive midfielder to score a winner as pure as Casemiro’s against the Swiss?

The European side frustrated Brazil through 83 minutes of the match at Stadium 974, with the favored Selecao seeing a second-half goal from Vinícius Jr. waved off due to an offside call.

But as the game entered its final minutes, Casemiro got on the end of a clever flicked pass from Rodrygo and surprised everyone with a quick half-volley that flew into the far corner.

That would be all Brazil needed on the night in a 1-0 victory that took them into the last 16 for an incredible 14th straight tournament. As long as the Selecao keep producing defensive-minded players who can strike a ball this pure, that streak will likely continue.

Watch Casemiro’s winner vs. Switzerland

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Neymar will miss Brazil’s match against Switzerland with ankle injury

Reports in Brazil suggested that the forward would be out for the remainder of the group stage

Neymar will miss Brazil’s next World Cup match against Switzerland with an ankle injury, team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar has confirmed.

The forward went down under a heavy challenge against Serbia on Thursday in Brazil’s World Cup opener, a 2-0 victory.

There were fears of a serious injury after Neymar was seen distraught on the bench after being withdrawn, followed by the sight of his badly swollen ankle.

O Globo has reported that Neymar will be out for the remainder of the group stage, but Lasmer would only go as far as to rule him (as well as defender Danilo) out for the team’s game against Switzerland on Monday.

“Neymar and Danilo started treatment yesterday (Thursday) immediately after our game,” Lasmer said in a video released by Brazil. “Today (Friday) in the morning they were reassessed and as we had already advanced in yesterday’s interview, through today’s physical assessment we thought it was important to do an image exam, an MRI so that we had more data on the evolution of the two players.

Stream all the World Cup action with fuboTV. Try a free trial.

“The scans showed a lateral ligament injury to Neymar’s right ankle along with a small bone swelling. And a medial ligament injury to Danilo’s left ankle. Players remain in treatment. It is very important for us to be very calm, peaceful, this assessment will be carried out daily so that we have information and make the best decisions based on that.

“We can already say that we will not have the two players for our next game, but they remain in treatment with our objective of trying to recover in time for this competition.”

After facing Switzerland, Brazil will complete group play on December 2 against Cameroon. Should it avoid catastrophe, the Selecao’s next match would be either December 5 or 6 in the round of 16.

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Neymar’s ankle injury could be a big problem for Brazil

Brazil won the battle against Serbia, but it may have lost the war

Brazil won its World Cup opener against Serbia, but it may have suffered a major loss as Neymar went down with an ankle injury in Thursday’s game.

Neymar went down under a rough second-half challenge from Nikola Milenkovic. After playing on for 11 minutes, the Brazil star was withdrawn in the 80th minute.

It wasn’t clear how bad the injury was, but two images painted a worrying picture for Brazil.

Neymar was shown on the bench distraught, nearly in tears, suggesting he was concerned about his ability to carry on at the tournament. Then there was the sight of his extremely swollen right ankle as he limped off the pitch.

TOPSHOT – Brazil’s forward #10 Neymar walks with a swollen ankle at the end of the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group G football match between Brazil and Serbia at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, north of Doha on November 24, 2022. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP)

Cameras also captured Neymar walking very gingerly after the game.

Neymar to get MRI

Brazil made its team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar available at the post-game press conference following the 2-0 win over Serbia.

“Neymar had an injury on the right ankle, direct trauma,” said Lasmar. “Due to the shock that he had with the knee of the Serbian player, we started immediately the treatment on the bench. He continued with the treatment with the physiotherapy.

“We need 24-48 hours to have a better understanding through the MRI. Tomorrow we will have a new assessment. Now we need to wait, we cannot make any premature comments on his evolution. We need to wait.”

Though Lasmar sounded a note of caution, Brazil coach Tite was more bullish on his star’s chances of playing more at the World Cup.

“Neymar, he felt this pain throughout the game,” Tite said. “But he decided to stay on the pitch to help the team. It’s remarkable that he could bear this pain while the team is playing.

“You can be sure that Neymar will play in the World Cup. He will play in the Cup.”

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