Brazil is suffering that “pesadelo” or nightmare this week after two scoreless draws against soccer minnows Iraq and South Africa. It has been widely noted in the media and on the streets here that Neymar makes about 20 times more than the entire Iraqi Olympic team. Another newspaper published a report card after the debacle against Iraq that gave every Brazilian player a failing grade. But it is soccer that is often described as as the country’s true religion. Brazil has high hopes in judo, volleyball and basketball at South America’s first Olympics.

Source: National Post August 09, 2016 19:30 UTC