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THERE is one real Neymar in the Brazilian Olympic team that plays SA in Brasilia on Thursday night‚ and at least three who have been dubbed as "new Neymars", writes Marc Strydom.
Neymar, the Barcelona superstar, is in Brazil’s team as an overage player.
As usual‚ though‚ and intimidatingly for Owen da Gama’s SA‚ there is no lack of emerging stars from the world’s greatest football talent production line. Business Day looks at five of them:
n Gabriel "Gabigol" Barbosa: He was signed into the Santos youth system at the age of eight and earned his nickname scoring more than 600 goals there. The 19-year-old has 24 goals in 82 appearances for Santos‚ six in five for the Brazil U-23s and two strikes in four games already for the senior Selecao.
• Felipe Anderson: The 23-year-old winger’s 10 goals in 32 Serie A games in a spectacular season for Lazio in 2014-15 sparked furious speculation of a move to Manchester United. He scored the 20th-minute second goal against the SA U-23s in Brazil’s 3-1 friendly win in Maceio in March.
• Gabriel Jesus: The 19-year-old Palmeiras forward was signed by Manchester City on Wednesday for £27m, but will remain on loan at Palmeiras until December. He has scored 11 goals in 14 games for his club in 2016.
• Marquinhos: One of coach Rogerio Micale’s most experienced players‚ the 22-year-old centreback has more than 100 top-flight European games under his belt in Serie A with AS Roma and France’s Ligue 1 for Paris-Saint Germain.
• Rafinha: Neymar’s 23-year-old teammate has found making a breakthrough difficult at Barcelona‚ whose youth system he signed for at 13‚ spending time on loan at Celta Vigo. Rafinha played six times for Barcelona’s first team last season‚ where he was sidelined for seven months with a cruciate ligament injury.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
The Neymar factor to boost Brazil
THERE is one real Neymar in the Brazilian Olympic team that plays SA in Brasilia on Thursday night‚ and at least three who have been dubbed as "new Neymars", writes Marc Strydom.
Neymar, the Barcelona superstar, is in Brazil’s team as an overage player.
As usual‚ though‚ and intimidatingly for Owen da Gama’s SA‚ there is no lack of emerging stars from the world’s greatest football talent production line. Business Day looks at five of them:
n Gabriel "Gabigol" Barbosa: He was signed into the Santos youth system at the age of eight and earned his nickname scoring more than 600 goals there. The 19-year-old has 24 goals in 82 appearances for Santos‚ six in five for the Brazil U-23s and two strikes in four games already for the senior Selecao.
• Felipe Anderson: The 23-year-old winger’s 10 goals in 32 Serie A games in a spectacular season for Lazio in 2014-15 sparked furious speculation of a move to Manchester United. He scored the 20th-minute second goal against the SA U-23s in Brazil’s 3-1 friendly win in Maceio in March.
• Gabriel Jesus: The 19-year-old Palmeiras forward was signed by Manchester City on Wednesday for £27m, but will remain on loan at Palmeiras until December. He has scored 11 goals in 14 games for his club in 2016.
• Marquinhos: One of coach Rogerio Micale’s most experienced players‚ the 22-year-old centreback has more than 100 top-flight European games under his belt in Serie A with AS Roma and France’s Ligue 1 for Paris-Saint Germain.
• Rafinha: Neymar’s 23-year-old teammate has found making a breakthrough difficult at Barcelona‚ whose youth system he signed for at 13‚ spending time on loan at Celta Vigo. Rafinha played six times for Barcelona’s first team last season‚ where he was sidelined for seven months with a cruciate ligament injury.
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