Even by the standards of “Back Door,” the Brazilian comic troupe whose satiric news read and sound like what would happen if Monty Python guys joined forces with The Onion, the joke sounded too mean.
Barely an hour after Brazil’s 2-0 win over Mexico that marked the Selecao’s safe passage to their seventh straight World Cup quarterfinals, the comedy site published a headline mocking a perceived uninspired performance by Gabriel Jesus. “Not knowing what to do at Russia 2018, Gabriel Jesus is now painting the 6-yard box yellow and green.”
It mentioned specifically the widely told story of how the Manchester City forward followed the 2014 World Cup like just another fan back home, which included painting his street in greater Sao Paulo. As usual, the “Back Door” team picked an easy target: Jesus’ role in the Selecao starting lineup has been under scrutiny since even before the World Cup started, but debate has intensified following four straight games without a goal by the 21-year-old in Russia.