Neymar: Assessing the Santos Star's Contribution for Brazil vs. Belarus
By
(Featured Columnist) on July 29, 2012
Neymar took on a starring role with a goal and two assists as Brazil beat Belarus 3-1 at the Olympics.
All eyes were on Neymar at Old Trafford, as the young Santos forward looked to climb another rung on the ladder to world football greatness.
His contribution on the score sheet came early, as some neat play on the flanks led to an excellent flighted ball into the box for Alexandre Pato to head in. A good showcase of Neymar's skills as a provider, as Brazil levelled after Belarus' shock lead.
Neymar's second most notable act, and one of the highlights of the match, was his wonder-strike from just outside the penalty area.
Hulk, who had previously taken a Brazil free-kick, allowed Neymar to step up following the Porto forward's earlier strike going straight into the wall.
And while there were question marks over the Belarusian goalkeeper's positioning, there can be no doubt that the stunning effort from Neymar led to Brazil taking the lead.
Understandably, everyone would have been expecting much from Neymar.Pele's comments about the Brazilian youngster being a brighter star than Lionel Messi needed further proof than just the word of one of Brazil's greatest.Moreover, one of the grandest stages in European football, Old Trafford, warranted an outstanding performance.
Prior to Neymar's goal, and following the excellent strike, there would have been small criticisms to make of the forward. His performances and ability were on a level above everyone else on the pitch, but maybe he's doing a little too much when it's not needed.
Being a Brazilian international, Neymar's flair and desire to show off his abilities are natural. However, is the Santos forward using his flicks and tricks to the benefit of the game around him and helping to get himself out of tight situations, or is he using them to show off and accentuate his performance?
Currently, I'm going with the latter.
But that's to be expected. He's young and he will make decisions that are indicative of his age. However, there's no doubting his ability to grab hold of a game and force his authority.
Neymar was always available for his team-mates' passes. Acting as the focal point of the attack more than Alex Pato, who returned to the starting XI, Neymar held the ball up well and drove the Brazil team forward.
Against a tricky opposition in this Belarus side, who were not to be intimidated, any good team needs a superstar performance from one of its leaders on the pitch.
It's no exaggeration to suggest that Neymar was outstanding. He was unlucky not to add to his tally of assists and the solitary goal, most notably through a mazy run in the second half that was all too familiar of Barcelona's South America superstar. And although heavily marked and chopped down a few times, Neymar never allowed his performance to waver.
The current Brazil squad is lined with outstanding talent, but there would have been a real question hanging over the team had they not managed to overcome the very real threat of Belarus.
Neymar's unselfishness, which was highlighted in the assist for Oscar's late goal, will also be a great addition to the impressive array of weapons available to coach Mano Menezes.
With Neymar in the side, this team do look comfortable in their ability to challenge for the gold medal.