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On Thursday, the World Cup story Brazil hoped would not be written was confirmed in official medical language: Neymar has a Grade 2 calf muscle tear, not the mild edema Santos had publicly described, and he will miss both pre-tournament friendlies and is “highly unlikely” to feature in the opener against Morocco on June 13. CBF doctor Rodrigo Lasmar gave two-to-three weeks as the recovery window at a Granja Comary press conference, putting Neymar’s tournament start on approximately June 7, with the World Cup group stage beginning six days later. Meanwhile, the Copa Libertadores group stage closed completely on Thursday night, producing a headline shock: Boca Juniors were eliminated from the Round of 16 at the Bombonera, losing 0-1 to Universidad Católica of Chile while Cruzeiro simultaneously beat Barcelona SC 4-0 to seal second place in Group D. And in Asunción, Cerro Porteño beat Palmeiras to Group F, the surprise of this group stage, while the Copa Sudamericana final matchday saw Vasco da Gama, Atlético Mineiro, and Bragantino all advance to the playoffs. In San Antonio, Wembanyama scored 28 as the Spurs crushed the Thunder 118-91 to force a Game 7 Saturday night in Oklahoma City. As always, The Rio Times covers Latin America’s full sports landscape.
