Neymar has blamed the pitch at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for his poor penalty attempt during Brazil’s 1-1 friendly draw against Colombia.
The Santos star had stepped up to take the penalty for what would have been his second of the game but scooped the shot well above the bar.
The forward told reporters after the match: “The penalty was horrible but you probably noticed the state the pitch was in, it didn’t have any stability.
“I tried to take it slowly but it didn’t work out, these things happen. I was happy for playing a good part in the game. The team performed well.”
Brazil boss Mano Menezes agreed with his player: “The pitch had an influence. It made the match more difficult for the whole 90 minutes.
“It’s an atypical situation which doesn’t even mention a comment. He will get over this.”
Neymar had already notched a goal before the miss, beating two defenders before curling a fine effort past the keeper into the far bottom corner.
