By Harry Allison
Mexico had its World Cup run ended by one of the world’s best players, Neymar, who scored a goal and assisted on another to lead Brazil to a 2-0 win in a round of 16 game.
It was a depressing finish for Mexico, which has now crashed out of seven consecutive World Cups in the round of 16.
In a multidimensional performance showing all the light and dark of the game, Neymar, 26, was the hero, the villain, the most graceful player in the stadium and, for many, the most vexing.
“I think we controlled the game, mostly,” said Osorio, who repeatedly criticized Neymar, without calling him out by name, for what he perceived to be an unacceptable amount of playacting in the second half: “I think this is a very negative example for the world and the world of football and all the children following this game.”
