Neymar's Brazil held to shock draw by Iraq at Olympic football
By Paul Vinnell
Last Updated: 10/08/16 11:33am
Brazil fans jeered their own team and cheered Iraq after Neymar and his team-mates flopped again in front of 60,000 at the Olympic football tournament.
The Middle Eastern side held the hosts to a 0-0 draw - Brazil's second of the tournament after a stalemate against South Africa - and Neymar's men must beat Denmark on Wednesday to progress to the last eight.
Gabriel Jesus, who last week secured a big-money move to Manchester City, missed a few decent chances early and was loudly booed when he was substituted in the second half.
At the end, the Brazilians were booed by the crowd, who instead chanted "Iraq, Iraq".
"We need to apologise to the fans, to the people of Brasilia," Brazil coach Rogerio Micale said. "We didn't play our best football. We feel like we left our fans frustrated."
Barcelona superstar Neymar, the tournament's biggest star, played below expectations for the second straight game.
During the game, frustrated fans chanted "Marta, Marta" who is the star of the women's team who are in brilliant form in their tournament.
Iraq coach Abdulghani Alghazali said: "It's a historic day for Iraq to be able to draw against Brazil at its home. It's a great achievement for Iraqi football."
Right at the end, midfielder Renato Augusto should have won it, but his close-range volley went over the bar.
"As the time passes and we can't score, the anxiety increases, and in this situation it's easier to make mistakes," Micale said. "It's natural."
Nigeria are through to the quarters after beating Sweden 1-0 in Manaus, and Portugal are close after a 2-1 win over Honduras.
Mexico defeated Fiji 5-1 in Salvador with four goals by midfielder Erick Gutierrez and Argentina topped Algeria 2-1 in Rio. Germany needed a late goal to grab a 3-3 draw with South Korea in Salvador.
Denmark, Brazil's next opponents, defeated South Africa 1-0 earlier on Sunday in Brasilia. They had opened with a goalless draw against Iraq.
