A Neymar show; then a no-show
This was the moment everyone was waiting for. Neymar, the Brazil captain, would be walking into the mixed zone after leading his side to a 6-0 rout of Honduras in the semifinal of the Olympic Games football event on Wednesday. The Barcelona No. 11 scored the fastest goal in the history of the Games and then scored from the spot in the stoppage time to wrap up a consummate victory for the hosts at the Maracana. And the win set up the mouth-watering prospect of a final showdown for Friday against Germany, a side they were plundered by during the last FIFA World Cup in Brazil two years ago.
Even though Neymar could not play that fateful match, the scars of that defeat must have touched him like it did his colleagues who were on the pitch on that day in Belo Horizonte. So the script for revenge could not have been written any better. And then there remains the small matter of ending the unenviable record of never winning a football gold medal in the Olympics.
The excitement among the scores of journalists at the mixed zone was quite palpable as they waited to hear Neymar say something about the final. Some waited with their recorders in their hands while others were busy jotting down questions on their notebooks. Some were even getting their cell phone cameras ready to take a picture or two of the 24-year-old footballer, much to the annoyance of the volunteers.
One of the volunteers came and informed that the press conference will be held in five minutes and it will be attended only by the Brazil coach. No one seemed to care much though. Everyone was there for the Barcelona frontman.
As the Brazilian players started emerging from the tunnel one by one, the excitement started building. Neymar will be here any moment. First came midfielder Renato Augusto and left for the team bus after having met the queries of the journalists; then came Marquinhos, the PSG defender, followed by Santos forward Gabriel Barbosa, popularly known as Gabigol, and Palmeiras forward Gabriel Jesus. They all came and spent time and left for the bus. Still no sign of Neymar.
Almost an hour had passed before Neymar finally arrived and everyone took their positions and got ready to ask their question. But alas! The Brazil captain put on a cheeky smile and flashed a thumbs-up sign as he walked up towards the bus past the congregation of reporters. Everyone started shouting: Neymar, Neymar. Uno momento, One moment please, but to no avail. He was out of sight in a flash.
And so the storyline for the news changed in a matter of seconds. Instead of a preview of the final full of Neymar quotes, dominated by talks of revenge and redemption, a bland diary came up -- one of having watched the superstar from such close quarters yet not being close enough to get a sound bite or two.