The Official Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup thread

[ballinaman]

Fractured vertebrae for Neymar. Nasty enough one.

[Walter Cronc]

Fractured vertebrae for Neymar. Nasty enough one.

Where u reading this?

[ballinaman]

Fractured vertebrae for Neymar. Nasty enough one.

Where u reading this?

Journalists at Scolari presser on twitter.

I'd guess it's a compression fracture by how it happened. 6-12 weeks in a brace depending on severity. No nerve damage with compression.

[Walter Cronc]

Fractured vertebrae for Neymar. Nasty enough one.

Where u reading this?

Journalists at Scolari presser on twitter.

Cool. Big Phil reckons he'll play.

[ballinaman]

Fractured vertebrae for Neymar. Nasty enough one.

Where u reading this?

Journalists at Scolari presser on twitter.

Cool. Big Phil reckons he'll play.

Dan Roan reported that Scolari said he's out.

Fracture not confirmed yet so might hold horses on diagnosis yet.
Shame he's out. Bout the only good thing about that team!

[rodney trotter]

Thiago Silva will be a massive loss too

[Capt Pat]

I wonder what the suspension is for a broken back? Zuniga should be worried?

[BennyHarp]

Wtf was that bug thing that landed on Rodriguez before the penalty?

[Wildweasel74]

Thats brazil no chance now, i cant see where the goals will come from, couple of lucky crosses for defenders to get on the end of is about the height of their planned play

[Eamonnca1]

Christ, the end can't come quick enough so we can say goodbye to Billo. As poor now as Brazil are onfield, just won't listen to pundits answers without hurrying them up ("Yeah, OK, That's right"), incapable of winging it, keeps making errors, hopeless when he goes off autocue.

I was watching on Univision (Spanish language commentary) for the first half and was enjoying the game even though I could understand no more than about one word in ten.  Yes it was rough, the ref was no James Galway and Brasil were getting away with murder, but it was great entertainment. Tuned in to RTE for half time and the second half. Was ready to jump off the bridge a few minutes into the second half. Never seen such depressing analysis and commentary in my life. Talking down the game. Saying it's a load of rubbish. Talking over the top of each other. Bickering like a married couple. Even the commentator (was it George Hamilton?) was getting in on the act and bad-mouthing it. Who do these people think they are? They're like pretentious restaurant critics.

I went back to Univision again.

WTF is it with RTE that they don't know how to present a sporting event, act professional and talk it up? Okay you might quibble about some of the technical quality of some of the football, but how could you not see the entertainment value in that match today? Why do they feel the need to try and turn off as many repeat viewers as possible? What an embarrassing excuse for a national broadcaster. Shower of incompetent mucksavages the whole bloody lot of them. The sooner they lose all live broadcasting rights to the GAA the better. They don't deserve it. Put it all on TV3, TG4 and Sky for three years until they learn a bit of manners and learn how to do their jobs properly.

[DrinkingHarp]

Wtf was that bug thing that landed on Rodriguez before the penalty?

Looks like a Grasshopper

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grasshopper

[ONeill]

I enjoyed that game from start to finish. The pressure on this mediocre Brazil side is something to behold. I think they'll do it. Apart from dead ball delivery, Neymar has been quiet recently. Hulk to step up with a hat trick.

[THE MIGHTY QUINN]

I'm convinced Fred must have caught Big Phil shagging sheep. There's no other explanation as to why he's still being kept on the park

[EC Unique]

Hard to see past Argentina and Holland tonight.

[Denn Forever]

Eamonn, compared to the alternatives (BBC, ITV) RTE's coverage is brilliant. 

I'd compare it to the Sunday's Game's live Hurling coverage and analysis to BBCs coverage of the Ulster championship.

The RTE's B team of coverage (Molony (?), Sandler, Hamman and Brad Friedel) are much better.