"FOULS ARE LIKE A FRIEND WHO NEVER LEAVES MY SIDE" - Neymar bore brunt of South Korea's physical game

Posted Sunday, October 13, 2013 by Marca.com

Neymar played a leading role in Brazil's friendly against South Korea, but not just because of the free-kick which he sent flying into the back of the net. The Barcelona player was also the centre of attention, being fouled repeatedly by his opponents.

In the first half of the game in Seoul, Neymar was fouled once every three minutes by his South Korean opponents – a statistic which speaks for itself.

And it was during the first half when Neymar said "that's enough". Fed up with being brought down, he faced up to his aggressors, throwing up his arms and demanding that they play fair.

Neymar was limping visibly in the early stages of the match, but luckily it was a false alarm. I would seem that it was the result of a heavy challenge which did not cause any serious injury, given that the Barça player played for the full 90 minutes without any trouble.

When asked about the fact at the end of the game, Neymar responded sarcastically: "Fouls are like a friend who never leaves my side (laughing). They are part of the game and I understand that. What I don't like is faking. I can't abide that."

The Barcelona star was named the man of the match and received a cheque for over €8,000.