Neymar, the redeemer

No player at the 20th Fifa World Cup is under greater pressure than Neymar because no Brazilian can apparently play the sport better than him at the moment. The hopes of 200 million football-mad Brazilians are on the slender shoulders of Neymar. When Brazil last staged the World Cup 64 years ago, everything soured at the climax with neighbours Uruguay nicking the trophy from the lap of the hosts.

If there is one player who has the tools to repair the damage inflicted on the collective memory of the nation, it’s Neymar. No one can accuse the Barcelona forward of lacking a sense of occasion as he stepped up to the plate brilliantly when his team needed him most against Croatia in the World Cup opener on June 12.

Croatia had done the unthinkable, as far as the Brazilian fans were concerned by taking an early lead. Neymar calmed frayed nerves of nearly 60,000 fans packed like sardines in Corinthian Arena, Sao Paulo, by scoring the equaliser. Brazil’s lead on that day also came from the gilded foot of Neymar. He put in an electrifying performance overall. He scored more goals and completed more passes than anyone on that day.

An ear-splitting roar greeted Neymar when the home team emerged out of the dugout for a warm-up before the Croatia match. The noise was even higher when he found the back of the net by the half-hour mark. When Brazil coach substituted his star player towards the end, the whole stadium was reverberating with the chants of “Neymar, Neymar.” Taking him off in the dying minutes was a possible play by the wily coach to let the player know how much he is valued at home. Brazil’s opening match was all about the slightly-built forward. Without a shadow of doubt, he is the host nation’s darling.

Brazil legend Rivelino, a member of the country’s dream team in 1970, has no doubts about the quality of Neymar. In an interview to Four Four Two magazine, he put his compatriot ahead of Argentina’s Lionel Messi, the player widely acknowledged as the best contemporary player, in creativity. According to Rivelino, Brazil are an ordinary team without Neymar. In other words, Neymar is the only link between the current Brazilian team to the country’s iconic teams of the 70s and 80s. Neymar allows Brazil to dream.

Brazilians still put a premium on winning with panache. In Neymar, they have a player who can bring out the child in them. He can dribble at pace and shoot with precision with both feet. He has a bag full of tricks that are typically Samba. He is no slouch either in taking free kicks.

Scolari says his team have an obligation to win at home and Neymar is his trump card. At 22, the player may not yet have reached his peak, but he has no option as the Cup has come to Brazil four years sooner.

In a country where language is a big problem, Neymar acts as the ice-breaker in conversations. All young and old, men and women love the Barcelona striker. Neymar has been compared to Pele from a young age because he followed in the legend’s footsteps by signing for Santos in the Sao Paulo state. He delighted Santos fans with his full range of tricks before moving to Barcelona on a big-money deal last summer. 

So many players have been compared to Pele but most of them fell by the wayside without achieving a fraction of what the three-time World Cup legend has achieved. Neymar, though, appears to have been cut from the same cloth as his illustrious Santos mate.

Neymar’s first season with Barcelona where the Brazilian trio of Romario, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho had enjoyed a fruitful time was underwhelming as he won no trophies. It was only understandable that he took his time to settle down in a team full of stars. First season is always difficult in Europe even if the player concerned is Neymar.

Another problem for the Brazilian was to fit into a team which also had Messi. The current Brazilian team is built around him. He knows he has to deliver. He has been doing it exceptionally well by scoring 33 goals in 50 matches for Brazil. But Barcelona aren’t a one-man team.

It’s a different team with a different philosophy. He will be a different player for his club next season. Before that, he has the small task of leading his country to its sixth World Cup.