FORTALEZA, Brazil -- Not long after celebrating another all-important win at the World Cup, Brazil was jolted by the loss of Neymar. The tournaments poster boy with the dyed-blonde fauxhawk fractured a vertebra in his back during Brazils 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Colombia on Friday. The injury has ruled the striker out of the rest of the competition, dealing a massive blow to the teams chances of finally winning a World Cup at home. Brazil advanced to the semifinals for the first time in 12 years, with the goals coming from defenders Thiago Silva and David Luiz. But the jubilation was quickly tempered when Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said Neymar broke his third vertebrae and is expected to be out for several weeks, ruling him out of Tuesdays semifinal match against Germany in Belo Horizonte. "Its a situation that leaves us in a difficult position for the match against Germany," Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said. "But we have great players and if I have to change something I will do it and we will be OK." The 22-year-old Neymar has been the focal point of both the Brazilian team and the entire World Cup, and he lived up to expectations with four goals in the first three matches. But he took a knee to the back late in the match against Colombia at the Arena Castelao in a collision with Juan Camilo Zuniga. The Brazilian star was crying in pain as he was carried off the field, and was taken to a private clinic. He has since been released. "He will not be in condition to play, he will need a few weeks to be fit again," said Lasmar, the team doctor. "He is very, very sad." The foul on Neymar came toward the end of one of the dirtiest games of the tournament as Brazil committed 31 fouls and Colombia had 23. Brazil will also be without Silva for Tuesdays match against Germany. The captain must sit out after getting his second yellow card of the tournament after impeding Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina. Brazil, which is trying to become the first host to win the World Cup since France in 1998, had been eliminated in the quarterfinals at the last two tournaments. The "Selecao" lost to the Netherlands in the quarterfinals in 2010 and to France in 2006 after winning its fifth title in 2002. Back in 1950, Brazil needed only a draw in the final match to win the World Cup, but the team lost to Uruguay in a match known as the "Maracanazo." This time around, Brazil won its group and then beat Chile on penalties in the second round. On Friday against Colombia, Silva gave Brazil the lead in the seventh minute, scoring with his left knee after a corner from Neymar passed through the Colombian defence. He celebrated the goal by pointing to the emblem on his jersey and shouting, "This is Brazil, this is Brazil." Luiz added the second from a free kick in the 69th, side-footing a long-range shot into the top of the net. Colombia got one back in the 80th. James Rodriguez scored his tournament-leading sixth goal from the penalty spot after Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar brought down substitute Carlos Bacca inside the area. Rodriguez tried to control the pace of the match, but it was Brazil that created most of the scoring chances as Ospina had to make a series of saves in the first half alone. The Colombians tried to pressure after Rodriguezs late penalty, but Brazil held on with solid defending. Colombia, playing at the World Cup for the first time since 1998 and in the quarterfinals for the first time ever, had entered the match after scoring 11 goals, second only to the Netherlands. "After not playing in the World Cup for so long, we were able to show the value of the Colombian football and the talent of some of our players," said Colombia coach Jose Pekerman, an Argentine. "They showed great spirit and presence of mind. They came to play a great World Cup, not just to participate." There was a lot of talk about Rodriguez and Neymar before the match, but the 22-year-old forwards didnt really deliver in Fortaleza. Rodriguez scored the late penalty but was otherwise mostly ineffective, as was Neymar before he left on a stretcher. Tony Taylor Jersey .Y. -- The New York Islanders were merely content with a lopsided victory. Jim Bunning Jersey .Bekker was added Wednesday in exchange for allocation money after two seasons with Toronto. The native of Canada had 29 MLS appearances, including 16 starts. Hes also played in 13 games for the Canadian national team. https://www.cheapphilliesjerseys.us/1187...y-phillies.html. HABS HEADED TO CONFERENCE FINAL The Montreal Canadiens scored early in Game Seven, built a lead and protected it well on their way to a 3-1 series-clinching win over the Boston Bruins. While this game or series isnt necessarily a referendum on the value of fourth lines, the Canadiens certainly benefitted from production lower down their forward depth chart. Deivy Grullon Jersey . Griffin scored 13 of his 31 points in the final 7:05 and Dudley got 11 of his 20 points in the third quarter, leading the defending Pacific Division champions to a 112-85 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night. "Dud is a shooter. Nick Williams Jersey . While coach Doc Rivers high-fived fans and pumped his fist at the crowd, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul quietly congratulated each other.PHILADELPHIA – Back troubles limited Randy Carlyle in recent weeks, but the Maple Leafs head coach was back on his feet and busy at draft weekend in Philadelphia. Carlyle, alongside team president Brendan Shanahan and general manager Dave Nonis, continued to hunt for the remainders of a coaching staff, following the dismissal of his three assistant coaches – including long-time no. 2 Dave Farrish – in early May. The Leafs plan on hiring two new assistant coaches to support Carlyle, who received a two-year contract extension after Farrish, Greg Cronin and Scott Gordon were fired. Touching down in the state of Pennsylvania with team personnel on Wednesday, Carlyle has been speaking with prospective candidates all week and throughout the early stages of summer. "We have a criteria," he said of the interview process, minutes before Fridays draft was to begin. "We sat down and we created a few boxes that we felt we needed to fill. "And its typical where youre in an interview process you look for peoples strengths and the experience is always a factor – where theyve worked before or who theyve worked with; have they ever been a head coach before; what programs have they run; what were their jobs with their previous employer; did they run power-play or penalty killing units. Those are the kind of things that typically go into an interview process." Though he managed to hold onto his job, significant alterations to his coaching staff were deemed necessary after a season that rapidly deteriorated into another playoff-less season. Absent answers to the wreckage amid the unraveling, Carlyle has finally digested what took place and is looking to turn the page. But he remains of the view that "compete" was the downfall of a club that tumbled out of a certain playoff position in the final weeks. "We didnt comppete enough in the situations that we were presented with and consistently enough," said Carlyle, noticeably relaxed after a stressful season.dddddddddddd. Change is coming, he understands, and not just to the coaching staff. With a glut of unrestricted free agents – many of whom wont return – and multiple pieces to adjust and rearrange, the Leafs will resemble a different team in the fall. Just how different remains unclear, but it appears that youth should be part of the agenda with Morgan Rielly, Peter Holland, Carter Ashton, Jerry DAmigo, Petter Granberg, Josh Leivo among others in line to either garner more opportunity or earn NHL jobs. "Theyre going to be given more of an opportunity," Carlyle said. "Thats our plan. Our teams not going to be the same coming back. Its as simple as that. With the amount of unrestricted free agents that we have and the make-up of our group we know that some of those players wont be back with our hockey club." A favourite of Carlyle, in spite of his brief Toronto experience, Dave Bolland could be among them. The Leafs have engaged in a back and forth with the Bolland camp – fronted by agent Anton Thun – but have yet to find agreeable terms ahead of July 1st."Its not that were not speaking to each other," Nonis said Thursday, "its at this point we havent been able to find common ground for a deal." Bolland is one among many potential changes for the Leafs, who are also likely to shuffle their bottom-six forward group (with a glut of unrestricted free agents), defence, and backup goaltending position. Adjustment to the core group, following the second regular season collapse in three years, is also a distinct possibility. All of which means a busy offseason ahead for Carlyle and the Toronto management team. ' ' '