Messi and Neymar picked as best players at Copa America just before final
Rio de Janeiro, Jul 11: Argentina's Lionel Messi and Brazil's Neymar were picked as the two best players of the Copa America just before they met in the final.
"It is not possible to choose only one (best) player because this tournament has two of them," CONMEBOL said in a statement.
Messi dished up four goals and five assists in six matches.
Neymar delivered two goals and three assists in five games.
CONMEBOL's technical study group added that the players had a positive impact on their teams and were "the reflection of the South American DNA in every match they played" in the Copa.
The study group included Colombia's Francisco Maturana and Carlos Restrepo; Uruguay's Daniel Ba ales and Gerardo Pelusso; Argentina's Sergio Batista and Nery Pumpido and Brazil's Oswaldo de Oliveira.
Argentina captain Messi has so far played his best tournament with the national team since his debut in 2005. He is also comfortable as the leader on the pitch, in contrast with the shy Messi of past tournaments.
Meanwhile, Neymar has steered Brazil with his dribbles, passes and shots. Also, his exchanges with midfielder Lucas Paquet have made Brazil more fluid up front.
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Mangaluru–Muscat direct flight to resume from March 1: MP Brijesh Chowta
Mangaluru: The long-pending demand of passengers from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and neighbouring Kerala, as well as Non-Resident Indians, has finally been addressed, with direct flight services between Mangaluru and Muscat set to resume from March 1, said MP Brijesh Chowta.
In a statement, he said a large number of people from the coastal region travel to Muscat for employment and business purposes, and there had been strong demand to restart the direct service. He said he had written to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation requesting the resumption of the flight. Following this, Air India Express will operate the service.
As per the current schedule, the flight will operate twice a week, on Sundays and Tuesdays. The direct service is expected to reduce travel time and provide major relief to NRIs by enabling them to travel directly to their hometown.
The sudden suspension of the Mangaluru–Muscat direct flight had caused serious inconvenience to thousands of passengers from the coastal belt settled in Muscat. Those travelling to Mangaluru were forced to take connecting routes via Delhi, Mumbai or Kannur.
