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Football

08th Sep 2018

DeAndre Yedlin’s comment to referee on a Neymar dive was perfect

Up to his old tricks

Darragh Murphy

Neymar is going to get a lot of this.

One of the biggest storylines of the World Cup was Neymar’s theatrics as the Brazilian superstar attempted to win countless free kicks and get opponents booked.

The 26-year-old never needs a second invitation to throw himself to the ground and his reputation is now preceding him.

Neymar was back at it again on Friday night, when Brazil claimed a 2-0 victory over the United States of America in an international friendly.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward scored the game’s second goal, following Roberto Firmino’s early opener with a penalty just before half-time.

But before that, Neymar was the subject of an interesting conversation between the referee and USA right-back, DeAndre Yedlin.

After Neymar hit the deck midway through the first half, Yedlin received a warning from the match official but the Newcastle full-back wanted to know only one thing.

Viewers reckoned that Yedlin asked the ref: “Did you watch the World Cup?”

Neymar has recently dismissed his reputation for simulation, claiming that he is targeted by opposition defenders which is why he ends up on the ground more often than other players.

“I’m faster, a little lighter and I suffer a lot of fouls,” Neymar said.

“The other players won’t let me through without hitting me. It’s no use asking, ‘excuse me, I want go through’.

“I suffered a lot of fouls at the World Cup, but that’s not what I wanted. It’s another learning experience for me. I’m going to improve my football everyday, my life on and off the pitch, and help the national team, which is the most important thing.”

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