The choice to entrust the fifth shot on goal to Neymar, who was ultimately unable to during the session against Croatia, is a lot of talk in Brazil.
It is an exercise in which he excels. Among the best penalty takers on the planet – if not the best – Neymar did not have the opportunity to show his talent in this area during the elimination of Brazil in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup against Croatia (1-1, 4-2 on pens).
Indeed, the PSG striker was designated fifth shooter, while the session ended after the miss of Marquinhos, the fourth Brazilian player to start against the man of the match, the Croatian goalkeeper Livakovic. A surprising choice and necessarily highly criticized by the Auriverde press and many football observers.
“Whoever pulls it has the most pressure”
In a post-match press conference, Tite explained why the “Ney”, in tears after the match, did not shoot. “He was the fifth shooter. The fifth shot on goal is the most decisive, the hardest to shoot. Whoever pulls it has the most pressure.”said the Brazilian coach, who left his post after the elimination of the Seleçao.