Footbal

Controversial win for Brazil

On the spot: Neymar converted a penalty to fire Brazil to a 1-0 win over Uruguay.

On the spot: Neymar converted a penalty to fire Brazil to a 1-0 win over Uruguay.   | Photo Credit: ADRIAN DENNIS

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Neymar kept his cool to score the controversial penalty that fired Brazil to a 1-0 win over Uruguay in a full-blooded friendly on Friday.

Brazil captain Neymar was subjected to some ferocious fouls from Uruguay as the clash between the South American rivals boiled over at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

But the Paris Saint-Germain striker had the last laugh, netting from the spot late in the second half after Diego Laxalt was harshly ruled to have fouled Danilo.

Unbeaten run

Brazil is now unbeaten in its last 10 meetings with Uruguay, which haven’t defeated the five-time world champion since 2001.

Brazil takes on Cameroon in another friendly in Milton Keynes on Tuesday.

It will be its last match of 2018, having recorded five successive friendly victories since losing in the World Cup quarterfinals against Belgium.

The results: International Friendlies: Brazil 1 (Neymar 76-pen) bt Uruguay 0; Argentina 2 (Funes Mori 45, Brizuela 83-og) bt Mexico 0.

Chile 2 (Vegas 70, Alexis Sanchez 90) lost to Costa Rica 3 (Waston 36, 59, Matarrita 64); Honduras 1 (Lozano 75-pen) bt Panama 0.