(MENAFN- Arab Times) Fortaleza brazil july 3 (afp): brazil striker ney-mar has admitted he is happy to win ugly as he looks to take another step towards delivering his country's sixth world cup on home soil against colombia in fortale-za on friday.
la selecao have been criticised for some of their less convincing performances on route to the quarter-finals most notably in squeezing past chile on penalties in the last 16.
'you can't always enjoy yourself and win 4-0 or 5-0. football nowadays is so difficult so even that the team who is most committed on the pitch ends up winning' said the barcelona man on wednesday.
'i don't want a show. that's the last thing we are trying to do. we are not necessarily here to produce a spectacle. we are here to run to the end until we are tired and come out as winners.'
neymar fell to the ground in tears as chile's gonzalo jara missed the decisive spot-kick in the shootout in belo horizonte with teammates julio cesar and captain thiago silva also seen to cry in relief as much as joy.
worried that carrying the expectations of 200 million brazilians is becoming too much for his squad coach luiz felipe scolari called the team's sports psychologist regina brandao in for an extra session with the players on tuesday.
and neymar said the sessions were having the desired effect.
'i had never done anything like it before and i am quite enjoying it' added the 22-year-old.
'it is not only us in football who are surrounded by emotion every day and need psychologists. i think it could do every person good to make one more relaxed.'
neymar also insisted he will be fully-fit to face the colombians despite suffering thigh and knee injuries against chile.
one of the major concerns for scolari has been the lack of support for neymar in attacking areas as he has scored half of his side's eight goals after four games whilst other forwards fred jo and hulk have struggled to make an impact.
neymar though claimed the team isn't overdependent on him.
'i don't feel overburdened either on the pitch or off it. i have team-mates who help me by winning the ball back scoring goals setting them up' he said.
'the brazil team doesn't have just one person who has to do everything.'
scolari will be forced into at least one change from the side that faced chile as luis gustavo is suspended so tottenham hotspur's paulinho is expected to come back into the side.
gustavo's absence is even more critical for the hosts given the sensational form of the tournament's top goalscorer colombia's james rodriguez.
the monaco playmaker has taken on the mantle of his side's focal point with ease in the absence of the injured radamel falcao with five goals in four games including a sensational dipping volley to open the scoring in his side's 2-0 win over uruguay in the last 16.
a fourth consecutive win for jose pekerman's men took them into the last eight for the first time and ahead of the biggest game in colombian football's history midfielder carlos sanchez insisted they won't be overawed by their opponents.
'afraid no respectful yes because it's brazil the organising country because of its players its coaches and for everything brazil represents' he said.
and rodriguez believes brazil should be just as worried about him as his countrymen should be about neymar.
'we're facing a very tough rival which has great players but they also have to think that we have great players.'
history though is against the colombians as they have only beaten brazil twice in 25 previous meetings and only once in a competitive fixture at the 1991 copa america.
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bogota: colombia will ban the sale of flour and shaving foam in bogota for friday's quarter-final world clash with hosts brazil with thousands expected on the streets and passions running high in the football-mad country.
colombians often celebrate by dousing people in shaving cream or making flour 'bombs' but police who will be out in force for the game on the streets of the capital want to stamp out the practise because it can lead to fights. alcohol sales will also be banned on friday.
president juan manuel santos who will watch the team in fortaleza called on his countrymen to 'keep calm.'
after the victory against uruguay on saturday authorities logged more than 3200 fights and 34 were hurt in post-game violence across colombia.
on saturday it will be costa rica's turn when they face the netherlands for a place in the world cup semi-finals.
costa rican authorities said wednesday they would clamp down on domestic violence that has spiked on game days of the country's historic run in the tournament.
violence against women has surged 200 percent when the national team are playing figures show with alcohol consumption largely blamed.
alejandra mora minister for women said: 'the abusers are turning a special moment for our country into a disgrace in their own homes and we have to stop it.
'we are trying to make the problem more public and give domestic violence the red card.'
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