NEY WORRIES
BRAZIL feared superstar Neymar would flop at the World Cup before the tournament began – now they are certain he is set to shine.
That is the view of former Arsenal full-back Sylvinho, who is now a part of Brazil’s coaching set-up and works with the £200m Paris St-Germain forward on a daily basis.
He admits that there were big concerns inside the camp about whether the samba star could do the business in Russia after a three-month injury lay-off – but insists he is now coming good.
Neymar has scored just once so far and has yet to hit top gear.
But he helped guide his team into a last-16 clash with Mexico, laying on one of the goals in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Serbia.
Sylvinho said: “We were worried about him a month ago because we
from PAUL BROWN in Moscow didn’t know how Neymar would be in the national team.
“But he’s unbelievable, a special player, he’s getting fit. He can hope to improve a little bit. He’s a very important player because he’s one of the best in the world.
“We are expecting more. He’s growing up in the competition. When a player like him is out for three and a half months it’s very difficult. He’s getting better.
“I hope to see a great Neymar. But it’s not just for Neymar.
“When you are from Brazil, you play under pressure because you are expected to do much more than everybody else.
“We are used to it, so it’s not a problem at all. We have to prepare for the game against Mexico. It’s very tough. But we hope to win.”
Neymar broke down in tears after Brazil’s late win over Costa Rica, leading to fears he was struggling to cope with the pressure of being Brazil’s talisman.
But Sylvinho said: “He is an incredibly strong player. His mind is really clear. He’s helping a lot.”
Meanwhile, Serbia star Dusan Tadic reckons Brazil could still be exposed by the Mexicans next Monday.
He said: “They have a great team but every team has weaknesses. It’s always possible to stop them.
“It will be difficult because they have a lot of qualities but anything is possible. We know that they don’t defend with so many people.
“When we made a few passes, we were immediately dangerous and we created chances.”