Neymar and Tite criticise ref
Neymar took a dig at the match officials after Brazil were held to a surprise 1-1 Group E draw at the Rostov Arena yesterday morning (Singapore time).
According to Opta, the Selecao superstar, who admitted he was "aching" after the game, was fouled 10 times during the match - more than any player since the 1998 World Cup.
When asked about the rough treatment, the Paris Saint-Germain forward said: "I have nothing to say about it. All I have to do is to play football, or try to.
"It's for the referee to see it. I guess that will be normal (to be fouled regularly), we have to pay attention to it."
Neymar wasn't the only person from the Brazil camp to criticise the referee, with coach Tite saying Steven Zuber's 50th-minute riposte to Philippe Coutinho's 20th-minute wonder goal should have been ruled out for a foul on Miranda.
Referee Cesar Arturo Ramos chose not to call on the video assistant referee (VAR) to review the incident.
He said: "I'm just going to say this once - the Miranda moment was very clear. It's a very clear play, it's very, very clear."
British football pundits seemed to agree with him, with Ian Wright, Roy Keane and Gary Neville, as well former Fifa referee Mark Clattenburg, all believing that the goal should not have stood.
Wright said on British broadcaster ITV: "Now we have got VAR and he is in there to see that push, that's a foul. For me, once we see the replay, that's clear and obvious for me."
Clattenburg added: "As the referee, I would rather go to the side of the pitch, which happened in the Costa Rica v Serbia match... at least give the referee the second opinion because like the Brazil players, they have seen on the big screen, they've clearly seen the push."
Brazil captain Marcelo, however, insisted that the controversy surrounding the incident "is not an excuse for the draw".
Fellow defender Miranda, meanwhile, suggested that if he had reacted to Zuber's push more theatrically, the goal might have been chalked off.
He told Brazil-based media giant Globo: "Maybe if I had thrown myself, I could point to the push."
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had a different take on the goal, laying the blame squarely on the Inter Milan centre-back's positioning.
He said on beIN Sports: "That is a typical mistake from a defender. You never turn your back and you watch the ball completely.
"He has to be turned on the diagonal to see the opponent. Once you turn to see the ball, you're in danger, because any push and you're done..."
Next up for Brazil are bottom-placed Costa Rica on Friday, with Switzerland playing table-toppers Serbia hours later.
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