SAO PAULO: Neymar started the week facing criticism after a poor performance in a World Cup qualifying match and his suggestion that the next tournament in Qatar might be his last.
But the striker helped erase many of those thoughts by providing key elements in all of the Brazil goals in Thursday’s 4-1 win against Uruguay.
The 29-year-old Neymar, who had a disappointing performance in Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Colombia in the previous round, arrived in the northwest Brazilian city of Manaus on Monday with dozens of fans in front of the team’s hotel. That would be the usual, were it not for a wave of criticism he has faced at home for months.
Neymar scored the opening goal against Uruguay after dribbling past goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. He then took the shot that allowed Raphinha to add the second. And then he provided two assists; one in a through pass to Raphinha and a cross that landed on the head of Gabriel Barbosa.
Midfielder Fred, who assisted Neymar on his goal, said Brazil players felt the difference in atmosphere since they arrived in Manaus. And that includes the team’s star.
“These fans gave us support every day in the stadium, in the hotel. They bought all the tickets and it was an extra strength for us,” he said, referring to the attendance of 12,500, the maximum allowed by COVID-19 protocols in Brazil. “We want them to be here supporting us, giving this great energy again in the next matches,” he added.
Raphinha praised Neymar’s performance on Thursday.
“Playing with Ney was very easy. I am a big fan of his, I take a lot of inspiration from him, in the way he plays and dribbles the opposition,” Raphinha said. “I watch a lot of his videos. To have played alongside is a dream coming true.”
Neymar also showed his reinvigorated happiness on social media.
On Instagram, he posted pictures celebrating his goal with teammate Lucas Paquetá, a montage to mark his 70th goal for Brazil and also a video of himself hugging his friend and Uruguay striker Luis Suárez.
“A giant by nature,” Neymar said in the caption of a picture of himself celebrating.
The Brazil star, who has been overshadowed by Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi’s arrival at his club Paris Saint-Germain, once again dribbled past defenders with a smile on his face.
Before Neymar’s showing against Uruguay, local fans were still accusing him of being in poor shape, failing in delivering the latest Copa America, focusing too much on his events off the pitch and, finally, of remaining mostly silent about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.
Brazil coach Tite agreed that the first match in front of home fans boosted the team’s morale after two lackluster performances. Neymar did not play in the 3-1 win against Venezuela due to a suspension.
“Thank you, Manaus. You had extraordinary human warmth with us,” Tite said at a media conference. “With fans back in the stadium . . . celebrating when our bus arrived. It was beautiful. Maybe today’s showing had to do a little with all this love, being welcome here.”
Neymar will return to action with Brazil in November, when his team will qualify for the World Cup if it scores a home win over Colombia in the next round. A few days later he will face Messi’s Argentina in San Juan.
Brazil leads qualifiers with 31 points in 11 matches, six ahead of second-place Argentina.
The joy is back for Neymar in World Cup qualifying
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The joy is back for Neymar in World Cup qualifying
LeBron James becomes seventh NBA player to reach 2,500 3-pointers
- The NBA’s career scoring leader made his first 3 of the night midway through the third quarter
- Next on the list is No. 6 Reggie Miller, the Hall of Fame Indiana Pacers star who had 2,560
NEW YORK: LeBron James made his 2,500th 3-pointer Saturday night, becoming the seventh player in NBA history to reach that total.
The NBA’s career scoring leader made his first 3 of the night midway through the third quarter of what was shaping up as another strong game at Madison Square Garden, where he came in averaging 28 points in 20 career appearances.
James had moved ahead of Kyle Korver into seventh place when he made his 2,450th on Dec. 4 in a game in Miami. Next on the list is No. 6 Reggie Miller, the Hall of Fame Indiana Pacers star who had 2,560.
Bakhashab clinches Hail Legends Rally title
HAIL: Saudi rally driver Abdullah Bakhashab and French co-driver Sebastien Delaunay stormed to a commanding victory in the second and final stage of the Legends Rally in Hail on Saturday.
Bakhashab set the pace in the Toyota Hilux from the start with an impressive time of 04:40:10. The duo set the fastest time in each stage in a dominant performance.
Despite the dramatic victory, it was Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Faisal who captured the headlines after an accident shortly before the end of the second stage in which his vehicle rolled over.
He was able to continue, with he and co-driver Pablo Morena of Spain finishing in fourth with a time of 05:48:24.
Second overall position went to Essa Al-Dosari with a time of 05:30:53, while veteran Saudi driver Ahmed Al-Sabban secured third with 05:45:05.
Speaking after the race, Bakhashab said he was delighted to win the Legends category, part of this year’s Hail Toyota International Rally, but that the victory was unexpected given his 15-year absence from rallying.
“I was following a strategy of taking my time so that I could pass Prince Khaled and the rest of my colleagues, and thank God I succeeded and was able to arrive first and win the title,” he said.
Prince Khalid bin Sultan congratulated Bakhashab, saying: “Abdullah was able to win the challenge with his experience, and this is not strange for him as a champion with titles and achievements.”
On his accident, he added: “Thank God we came out of this race safely, and I promise you that we will be crowned in the next rally. The challenge is still on with Bakhashab and the other competitors.”
Real Madrid’s winning run surprisingly ends in loss at Espanyol
- Espanyol inched two points clear of the drop zone, while Madrid’s lead was cut to one point after Atletico Madrid beat Mallorca 2-0 earlier
MADRID: Real Madrid’s winning run ended in stunning fashion after losing at relegation-threatened Espanyol 1-0 on Saturday in La Liga.
Defender Carlos Romero’s late goal beat the La Liga leader and moved Espanyol out of the bottom three.
Espanyol inched two points clear of the drop zone, while Madrid’s lead was cut to one point after Atletico Madrid beat Mallorca 2-0 earlier.
Madrid, which found out on Friday that it will face Manchester City in the Champions League knockout playoff round, traveled to Espanyol with 10 victories in its last 11 matches in all competitions.
It dominated and Vinícius Júnior thought he gave the visitors the lead in the 21st minute but it was ruled out due to a foul by Kylian Mbappé on Espanyol midfielder Pol Lozano.
Madrid was made to pay for its missed opportunities five minutes from time when Romero volleyed in Omar El Hilali’s cross, much to the home fans’ raucous — and surprised — delight.
Back to winning ways
Atletico went into its match against seventh-placed Mallorca having lost both of its last two league matches and with only two wins in its last four games after a run of 15 consecutive victories.
It took the lead in the 26th minute when Giuliano Simeone sprinted down the right before rolling the ball across the edge of the area for Samuel Lino to fire into the bottom right corner.
Rodrigo Riquelme hit the crossbar with a free kick two minutes from time and provided the through ball for substitute Antoine Griezmann to run onto and delightfully chip the goalkeeper and seal the match in stoppages.
Fifth-placed Villarreal crushed bottom club Real Valladolid 5-1 and Getafe drew with Sevilla 0-0.
Imavov stuns Adesanya with devastating knockout in UFC’s return to Riyadh
- 4th consecutive win solidifies Imavov as a legitimate middleweight title contender
- Newcomer Michael ‘Venom’ Page dominates Shara Magomedov in UFC debut
RIYADH: The UFC’s return to Riyadh delivered high-octane action, headlined by a stunning upset as Nassourdine Imavov knocked out former two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in the second round.
In the co-main event, Michael “Venom” Page showcased his striking brilliance, outclassing Shara Magomedov in his highly anticipated UFC debut.
A new force emerged in the middleweight division. Imavov made a resounding statement, knocking out Adesanya just 30 seconds into the second round.
After an evenly contested opening round, Imavov masterfully set up his attack, using a feinting jab to distract Adesanya before delivering a thunderous right hand that sent the former champion crashing to the canvas. Sensing the finish, Imavov wasted no time, overwhelming Adesanya with ground strikes until the referee stepped in.
The victory — his fourth consecutive win — solidifies Imavov as a legitimate title contender in the 185-pound division. Meanwhile, Adesanya now faces serious questions about his future, suffering his third consecutive loss and second knockout defeat in a row.
Meanwhile, UFC newcomer Michael “Venom” Page lived up to his reputation, dismantling previously unbeaten Shara Magomedov with a flawless display of movement and precision striking, securing a unanimous decision victory.
Page’s trademark elusive style kept Magomedov off balance throughout the fight. Darting in and out of range with surgical counters, the 37-year-old Brit controlled the pace, frustrating his opponent, while avoiding significant damage.
With this dominant win in a higher weight class, Page has already proven he belongs among the elite. He is expected to return to welterweight for his next fight, while Magomedov must now regroup after his first professional defeat.
The rest of the main card saw Sergei Pavlovich defeat Jairzinho Rozenstruik by unanimous decision, using relentless pressure to control the fight. Vinicius Oliveira secured a technical and well-executed unanimous decision win over Said Nurmagomedov, while Fares Ziam outpointed Mike Davis in a closely contested match-up.
The prelims featured several standout performances. Muhammad Naimov earned a hard-fought unanimous decision over Kaan Ofli, while Shamil Gaziev stopped Thomas Petersen with a first-round TKO.
Terrance McKinney wasted no time securing a first-round TKO over Damir Hadzovic, and Jasmine Jasudavicius outworked Mayra Bueno Silva for a unanimous decision win. Bogdan Grad showcased his power with a second-round TKO against Lucas Alexander, while Hamdy Abdelwahab edged out Jamal Pogues in a split decision victory.
In-form Dembele hits hat-trick again as PSG thump Brest
- Luis Enrique’s side are still unbeaten domestically this season and now sit 13 points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table
PARIS: Ousmane Dembele scored a hat-trick for the second time in four days as Paris Saint-Germain hammered Brest 5-2 on Saturday in a dress rehearsal of the upcoming Champions League clash between the two sides.
Dembele followed up his three-goal haul in Wednesday’s 4-1 win at VfB Stuttgart which saw PSG secure a place in the knockout phase play-offs of Europe’s elite club competition.
The France winger opened the scoring in the first half, and netted two more after Romain Del Castillo had briefly brought Brest level.
Ludovic Ajorque pulled another one back for the home side to set up a grandstand finale, but substitute Goncalo Ramos wrapped up the win for PSG with a late double.
Luis Enrique’s side are still unbeaten domestically this season and now sit 13 points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table.
Marseille, who are second, can narrow that gap a little when they host Lyon on Sunday, but PSG are cruising to their 11th French league title in 13 years.
Dembele, meanwhile, is loving playing in a central attacking role rather than his traditional position wide on the right.
He has now scored 14 goals in his last nine games in all competitions, and is Ligue 1’s leading marksman with 14 for the season.
“I am well positioned in the number nine role. I owe it to myself to score goals,” Dembele told broadcaster beIN Sports.
“It was important to win today to keep our good run going and now we will see what happens in the Champions League.”
PSG’s record against domestic opponents this season means Brest will surely be dreading having to face Luis Enrique’s side again over two legs in the Champions League.
The teams will meet in the first leg on February 11 in Guingamp, where Brest are having to host Champions League games this season as their own Stade Francis-Le Ble does not meet UEFA requirements.
They were in their usual home stadium for this game, but they could not stop PSG making it 14 games unbeaten in all competitions.
Bradley Barcola raced onto a through ball before squaring for Dembele to open the scoring just before the half-hour mark.
Brest, who lost 3-0 against Real Madrid in midweek, came out fighting after the break and drew level five minutes into the second half thanks to a lovely low strike by Del Castillo from the edge of the box.
However, the visitors were back ahead before the hour mark as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was denied in the box but the ball broke for Dembele to score.
He then completed his hat-trick soon after, having been picked out by a superb Lee Kang-in pass.
Ajorque’s terrific hit made it 3-2, but Ramos came on for Dembele and made it 4-2 on 89 minutes at the end of a counterattack led by Desire Doue, who had replaced Kvaratskhelia.
Ramos, the Portugal striker, then scored again deep in injury time, his eighth goal of the season coming as he tried to set up a teammate but saw the ball break back to him.
Brest are eighth, four points outside the European places for next season.
Monaco play Auxerre and Lille host Saint-Etienne in Saturday’s other matches.
