Brazil head coach Tite insists that too much is expected of Neymar after the striking striker came under heavy criticism following his display below Colombia.
Brazil’s nine consecutive victories in their 2022 World Cup qualifiers came to an abrupt end at the Estadio Metropolitano on Sunday.
Neymar played the full 90 minutes full-time at Barranquilla but struggled to make an impact in the game for a few clear chances.
He badly scored 15 passes against Colombia – his highest number in a qualifier – but Tite defended the 29-year-old after the game.
“Neymar was right and so was the whole team,” Tite told a news conference after the game.
“He is probably expected to do different things all the time and make a difference all the time.
“He’s a different player because he produces outstanding moments, but not always. He’s a different player, we know that.
“But today he was well-marked, sometimes with two players in him.”
Neymar’s impressive performance came on the day he revealed that the next World Cup could be his third and final in Brazil.
The Paris Saint-Germain striker has scored 69 goals in 114 games for Brazil since joining the United States in August 2010.
Only Pele (77) has found the net most of the time for Selecao, with Cafu (142), Roberto Carlos (125), and Dani Alves (119) scoring the net.
Neymar has also endured a disappointing campaign at club level, scoring just one goal and two assists in seven PSG games in all competitions.
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