RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil faces another embarrassing exit from a tournament on home soil after Neymar slumbered through a second 0-0 draw of Rio 2016 against Iraq.
The Olympic host needs to beat group leader Denmark Wednesday to win to avoid a stunning exit, just two years after its devastating 7-1 World Cup defeat by Germany.
Neymar was expected to ease Brazilian football’s wounded pride by delivering a first ever Olympic gold for the five-time world champion.
However, the Barcelona star was eclipsed. And just as in their opening stalemate against South Africa, Brazil was booed from the field in Brasilia Sunday as it paid for its profligacy in front of goal.
“We didn’t manage to play our football,” said Brazil coach Rogerio Micale, who apologized to the expectant Brazilian public.
“Today we had a lot of support and only at the end were there boos. We apologize to the fans, to the people of Brasilia who filled the stadium to support the team, but we didn’t manage to give them a response.”
Portugal and Nigeria were the first sides to seal their places in the quarterfinals with victories over Honduras and Sweden respectively.
There were also wins for Argentina, Denmark and Mexico.
In contrast to his display against South Africa when he was labelled “greedy,” Neymar was a peripheral figure against Iraq and lost his cool when he fired the ball at Sherko Kareem in the second-half as the Iraqi prevented him from taking a quick freekick.
Manchester City’s £27 million ($36 million) signing Gabriel Jesus had another night to forget. After claiming he “wouldn’t sleep” after missing an open goal against the South Africans, he skewed a golden chance wide inside two minutes before being hooked off by Micale early in the second-half.
Iraq could even have snatched a shock win when Mohanad Abdulraheem’s first-half header came back off the inside of the post.
Atletico Madrid’s Angel Correa scored and set up Jonathan Calleri’s winner as 10-man Argentina got its challenge for a third Olympic gold back on track with a 2-1 win over Algeria in Rio.
Argentina coach Julio Olarticoechea was put in charge for the Games just weeks before its opening 2-0 defeat to Portugal. Olarticoechea took over from Gerardo Martino who quit after a second Copa America final defeat to Chile in as many years.
However, it was Calleri, called in at the last minute to replace Luciano Vietto, who bundled home the winner 20 minutes from time.
Argentina still needs to beat Honduras in its final Group D game Wednesday to qualify for the quarterfinals.
Portugal made sure of its place in the last eight by beating Honduras 2-1.
Goals from Tobias Figueiredo and Goncalo Paciencia canceled out Alberth Elis’s first minute opener.
World champion Germany also dug itself out of trouble as a stoppage-time equalizer from Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry salvaged a thrilling 3-3 draw against South Korea in Salvador.
Germany lies in third place in Group C, two points behind Mexico and South Korea.
Defending champion Mexico needed a second-half fightback to stave off one of the biggest shocks in Olympic football history to beat Fiji 5-1.
Fiji benefited from New Zealand’s disqualification for fielding an ineligible player to qualify for the Olympics at last year’s Pacific Games.
It was thrashed 8-0 by South Korea on its debut Thursday.
However, it led 1-0 at half-time in Salvador, thanks to Roy Krishna’s opener.
Erick Gutierrez was Mexico’s saviour as he struck four times in the second-half.
Sadiq Umar headed 1996 winner Nigeria into the quarters with a 1-0 win over Sweden.
Colombia holds a one point advantage over Japan and Sweden in the fight for second place after its second 2-2 draw against Japan in the Amazonian city of Manaus.
