Brazil boss Tite wants more maturity from Neymar
Brazil national team manager Tite will have to pick an XI without Neymar in Tuesday's World Cup qualifier in Venezuela, after the Barcelona forward was brandished a yellow card in Thursday's 5-0 decimation of Bolivia.
Though a player of remarkable talents that, at the age of 24, is only below Pele, Ronaldo, and Romario in his country's all-time top scorers, he sometimes shows petulance which can inhibit his game. His one-match suspension came as a result of dissent in the Natal test.
"There were mistakes from the referee, with an excess of fouls derived from a lack of punishment to them," said Tite.
"And we - Neymar and me - we need maturity to understand that we'll have to bear these kind of situations, too."
Despite Neymar, Gabriel Jesus, Philippe Coutinho, and Co. weaving intricate patterns through the Bolivian backline, the side soundly beaten occasionally managed to catch a yellow shirt - and in at times brutal fashion.
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It was some of this early rough treatment that led to Neymar seeing yellow in the 36th minute for complaining to match official Wilson Lamouroux.
"What happens sometimes, and it did happen, regarding the card, was - in the first place - an excessive amount of fouls aimed to emotionally destabilise the squad, to provoke situations," explained the well-travelled gaffer.
"You can say 'okay, the fouls are from the game and it's the referee's problem.' It's my responsibility as a manager to guide the player."
The midweek tilt in Merida does pose what Tite views as a valuable test for this ranks, however: winning without the indefatigable, goal-plundering Neymar. The Santos was his usual influential self against Bolivia, claiming two assists and a strike for himself in the bout.
Tite added: "The team must be strong without Neymar. It is inhumane to put everything on Neymar."