As Brazil square off against Spain in the final of this year’s Confederations Cup, all eyes will be on Neymar who will be up against a few of his Barcelona teammates
So far, Neymar has already done quite a lot at the Confederations Cup to erase all the lingering doubts people had about his ability following a big money move to Barcelona. Another great performance against Spain this Sunday, and only a small segment of people would dismiss him as the future of Brazilian football.
The young winger had already made headlines across the football world after securing a move to Barcelona. However, the player arrived at what we can call as the warm-up tournament for the World Cup with a lot to prove while donning the yellow jersey.
Many people expected the player to fail but instead, Neymar proved his detractors wrong by scoring three times in four games and helped his country to set up a date with Spain in the final.
Indeed the player’s performances have been observed intently by manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.
“Barcelona must be beaming seeing what he has been doing here,” stated the Brazilian. “He has been playing well, making a difference against European defenders.”
"Neymar is our idol, he is the people's idol," Scolari said. "He has had a nice string of matches and everybody is happy about that. It's important for him to be going through all of these different situations with Brazil because it's something that will make him even better in the future."
Before announcing his move to Barcelona, Neymar was struggling with form. He had not found the net in nine games and many people felt that he would never come good for the national side. However, it seems that things have changed.
The final against Spain at the famous Maracana Stadium presents the perfect stage for the new Barcelona star to win a title with the national team and this title could signal the start of a new era in football.
The final game of the tournament is going to be Neymar’s biggest test yet. After doing an excellent job against the Italian’s in the last group game of the tournament, Neymar has already proved that he can hold his own against some of the best defenders out there. However, it would be the game against Spain that would change many critics’ opinions about the player.
A team that is full of strong characters who have won everything international football has on offer is going to be quite a test for Neymar. If he manages to deliver another great performance against a team of Spain’s stature, Neymar will definitely silence all those people who still have not accepted him for the talent he is.
The question on everyone’s minds at this point of time would be of what type of Neymar will they see against a Spanish squad that is dominated by Barcelona players. Would it be a timid Neymar full of respect for his new teammates or the one who would want to win for his team at any cost?
One has to call Neymar a new cheeky face in world football. Blowing that kiss to Uruguay’s Gonzalez before setting up Paulinho’s winning goal in the semi-final caught a lot of media attention. However, it is highly unlikely to see the new Brazilian sensation to do something of a similar kind against the likes of Xavi and Iniesta who he would be spending quite a lot of time with for the next year or so. Regardless, Neymar will have to shoulder the responsibility of guiding his team to the touchline.
The next season is still quite a few months away and Scolari’s main task would be to make sure that respect and admiration for his new teammates at Barcelona does not affect the team’s golden boy’s performance in the final.
Already, the player is looking forward to meeting up with a few players he will be playing with and against from next season.
"It would be a dream come true to play a final against Spain," Neymar said even before the Confederations Cup began. "It's a great team, with great players. I would do anything to try to beat them and give Brazil the title."
The young winger had already made headlines across the football world after securing a move to Barcelona. However, the player arrived at what we can call as the warm-up tournament for the World Cup with a lot to prove while donning the yellow jersey.
Many people expected the player to fail but instead, Neymar proved his detractors wrong by scoring three times in four games and helped his country to set up a date with Spain in the final.
Indeed the player’s performances have been observed intently by manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.
“Barcelona must be beaming seeing what he has been doing here,” stated the Brazilian. “He has been playing well, making a difference against European defenders.”
"Neymar is our idol, he is the people's idol," Scolari said. "He has had a nice string of matches and everybody is happy about that. It's important for him to be going through all of these different situations with Brazil because it's something that will make him even better in the future."
Before announcing his move to Barcelona, Neymar was struggling with form. He had not found the net in nine games and many people felt that he would never come good for the national side. However, it seems that things have changed.
The final against Spain at the famous Maracana Stadium presents the perfect stage for the new Barcelona star to win a title with the national team and this title could signal the start of a new era in football.
The final game of the tournament is going to be Neymar’s biggest test yet. After doing an excellent job against the Italian’s in the last group game of the tournament, Neymar has already proved that he can hold his own against some of the best defenders out there. However, it would be the game against Spain that would change many critics’ opinions about the player.
A team that is full of strong characters who have won everything international football has on offer is going to be quite a test for Neymar. If he manages to deliver another great performance against a team of Spain’s stature, Neymar will definitely silence all those people who still have not accepted him for the talent he is.
The question on everyone’s minds at this point of time would be of what type of Neymar will they see against a Spanish squad that is dominated by Barcelona players. Would it be a timid Neymar full of respect for his new teammates or the one who would want to win for his team at any cost?
One has to call Neymar a new cheeky face in world football. Blowing that kiss to Uruguay’s Gonzalez before setting up Paulinho’s winning goal in the semi-final caught a lot of media attention. However, it is highly unlikely to see the new Brazilian sensation to do something of a similar kind against the likes of Xavi and Iniesta who he would be spending quite a lot of time with for the next year or so. Regardless, Neymar will have to shoulder the responsibility of guiding his team to the touchline.
The next season is still quite a few months away and Scolari’s main task would be to make sure that respect and admiration for his new teammates at Barcelona does not affect the team’s golden boy’s performance in the final.
Already, the player is looking forward to meeting up with a few players he will be playing with and against from next season.
"It would be a dream come true to play a final against Spain," Neymar said even before the Confederations Cup began. "It's a great team, with great players. I would do anything to try to beat them and give Brazil the title."
