Player Focus: Neymar - The Best of the Confederations Cup
When Barcelona confirmed the arrival of Brazil international Neymar, it brought to an end a transfer saga that, it can be argued, had duly run its course. The biggest - and richest - teams in world football had taken a shine to the former Santos star, with the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea and Anzhi Makhachkala all credited with an interest for a player who had insisted he wouldn’t be leaving South America until the culmination of the 2014 World Cup.
Nevertheless, on the 3rd of June 2013, the floppy haired 21-year-old was paraded around Camp Nou in a Barcelona kit in an unveiling that had drawn the biggest crowds to the 100,000-seater stadium since the day Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived from Inter Milan in 2009. Many believed the Blaugrana had wasted their money on a striker that had been bought to boost the coffers from shirt sales and marketing opportunities, especially when the club already boasts Lionel Messi, Pedro and Alexis Sanchez, amongst others, to operate on the frontline.
Others believed Neymar to be overrated and insisted that a centre-back would be a more sensible signing, especially with the €57m Barcelona reportedly paid Santos to secure his signature. With such a high price tag associated with the youngster, the eyes were firmly fixed upon the striker during the recently completed Confederations Cup.
With Brazil hosting the World Cup dress rehearsal, the pressure was ramped up to see A Seleção land their first piece of international silverware since the 2009 edition of the competition in South Africa. Indeed, Luis Felipe Scolari’s side took part in their first competitive fixture since the Copa America in 2011 when they opened the tournament in the Group A encounter with Japan. It took Neymar just three minutes to respond to his critics in spectacular fashion.
Fred provided the ammunition for the frontman to nestle a well-executed half volley past Eiji Kawashima and into the top corner, sending those in attendance at the Estadio Nacional into a frenzy as Neymar continued to impress. Two more goals in the group stages, against Mexico and Italy, and a well worked assist for Fred in the former saw the Brazil international end the group stages as WhoScored.com’s highest rated player for those with two or more starts, having garnered a score of 8.27.
He continued his fine performances into the semi-final and final, where Brazil overcame Uruguay 2-1 and Spain 3-0 respectively, the latter victory of which Neymar netted in to double the hosts’ advantage on the evening. His display in the final earned him the man of the match accolade from WhoScored (9.13). It capped a memorable 15 days for the frontman, with an average rating of 8.28 meaning that the Barcelona ace was the highest of any player to compete in the Confederations Cup with two or more appearances.
Often the focal point of the Brazil attack, Neymar saw only Uruguay midfielder Walter Gargano (5) create more clear cut chances (3), with the striker helping himself to two assists; only Gargano ended the tournament with more (3). This saw him regularly targeted by the opposition and it’s no surprise to have seen him be the most fouled player (30) of the competition, as teams aimed to hinder his creative impact.
The creative side of his game is again brought into focus significantly by the fact that only Spain’s Xavi (14) made more key passes than Neymar (10), with four of those coming in the final. Considering La Roja enjoyed 56.2% possession over the 90 minutes, this showcases not only his ability to open the defence in the blink of an eye, but that his decision making when on the ball can undermine the opposition's defensive solidity when needed to. It's a facet of his game that would only improve the creative cohesion of an already fluid Barcelona side, especially when taking into account that only Andrés Iniesta (22) completed more dribbles than Neymar (15).
In front of goal, as evidenced by his four strikes, he also excelled having converted 50% of his efforts on target, while only Diego Forlán (9) had more shots on target than Neymar (8) throughout the competition. When compared to his future teammates, only Cristian Tello (58.3%) and Messi (57.5%) boast more impressive figures than the Brazil international with regards to on target conversion, further reinforcing the notion that he’ll comfortably adjust to his new surroundings when the new season kicks off next month.
These stats not only showcase how talented a player Neymar is, but also how much he will improve Barcelona as a collective unit next season. In terms of key passes made and dribbles completed, it’s only his future teammates - Xavi and Iniesta respectively - that bettered his efforts. This shows that not only will the Brazil international unlikely disrupt the creativity of the Primera Division champions, but add to it.
Some fans of the game will still hold the opinion that Neymar isn’t worth the money Barcelona paid Santos for him, but in his first major international tournament with the pressure fully thrust upon the striker, he never cowered away from the spotlight, instead shouldering the weight bestowed upon him by the nation, thriving as a result. That mental toughness will only aid Neymar when he finally makes his debut under Tito Vilanova, and it can now be expected that he won't be a shrinking violet under the floodlights of the Camp Nou alongside Messi, Xavi and Iniesta, but instead flourish and relplicate his Confederations Cup form with the La Liga giants when his career in Europe kicks off.
