Neymar Feared ‘Paralysed’; Coach Scolari ‘Positive’ Brazil Will Do Well in Semi-Finals Match Without the Star Striker

Brazil's Neymar grimaces as he is carried off the pitch after being injured during their 2014 World Cup quarter-finals against Colombia at the Castelao arena in Fortaleza July 4, 2014. REUTERS

Brazil's bid to win a sixth World Cup was crushed after poster boy Neymar has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament following the injury he suffered during the host nation's quarterfinals match against Colombia.

Brazil's coach Luiz Felipe Scolari told news outlet Marca that Neymar feared he was paralysed after Colombia's Camilo Zuniga kneed him in the lower back, resulting to a broken bone further making him incompetent to participate and play in the rest of the tournament.

According to Scolari, Marcelo reached down to Neymar after the horrific foul and asked the star striker how he felt. "I can't feel my legs," were the words that Neymar uttered. Scolari confessed that losing Neymar was a devastating blow for his team. He said that Neymar is a player that they didn't want to risk having an injury, especially in the final matches.

Despite Neymar's absence, Scolari maintains a positive attitude that his team will do well in the semifinals match against Germany which will take place at Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte on July 8. "Neymar has done his share," Scolari told BBC. "Now it's up to us to do our share," he added.

Scolari said that they had accepted the recent turn of events and now "focused" on playing well in the upcoming matches. He said they will be playing not only for their country but also for Neymar and all the great things he has done for the squad.

Neymar has scored four goals out of Brazil's eight goals in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has lashed Brazil's soccer federation's plea to punish the Colombian defender who injured Neymar. The statement said that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee will not "intervene" in light of the recent incident.

"In particular, in this specific case, no retrospective action can be taken by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, since the incident involving the Colombian player Juan Camilo Zuniga Mosquera did not escape the match officials' attention, which is the first of two cumulative and necessary conditions for art. 77 a) of the FDC to be applied."

FIFA wished Neymar, as well as the other athletes who were agonized by injuries during the course of the tournament, "a prompt and complete recovery."