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Julio Cesar, David Luiz hold up Neymar shirt during Brazilian anthem

Julio Cesar, David Luiz hold up Neymar shirt during Brazilian anthem

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The outpouring of support in Brazil for Neymar in the wake of the back injury that will keep him from playing in the remainder of the World Cup has been heartwarming. But someone might want to remind everyone that he is still alive and will be back on his feet in a few weeks.

Julio Cesar and captain David Luiz held up Neymar's shirt as they shouted the national anthem before Tuesday's semifinal against Germany in a tribute usually reserved for someone who has passed on. (They did not hold up the shirt of first-choice captain Thiago Silva, who is serving a one-match ban for yellow card accumulation, though.)

This came after the team arrived at the stadium wearing hats that read #ForcaNeymar and thousands of fans filled the stadium wearing Neymar masks.

(Getty)
(Getty)

Neymar was replaced in Brazil's starting XI by 21-year-old Bernard. All the focus on the team's missing top scorer seemed to backfire when Thomas Muller scored from a corner kick in just the 10th minute due to some terrible defending to put Germany up 1-0. And then the Germans followed that with four more goals in a span of six minutes before the half hour mark for a new World Cup record.

Perhaps they should have held up a Thiago Silva shirt after all.