The post euro depre sion set in pretty rapidly after Spains mauling of the Italians, yet we cant overlook this years Olympics which potentially could prove just as exciting as the Euros. At the very least it bridges the gap to everyones favourite game of the year The Community Shield and than a return to normality with our beloved Premiership.
Joe Flacco Jersey Spain are already been thrown around as the favourites as they will likely be for anything involving a ball for the next 30 years, other nations are fielding strong teams and Spain will not have a walkover here. Perhaps because its close to home, or at home if your a Londoner, that this Olympic football tournament seems to be garnering more attention than its predece sors, it also features Great Britains first appearance in the tournament since 1972. Team GB should be considered contenders, home field advantage and the support of D-Becks from the stands on their should be enough to get them out of the group stages. This edition will look at who I believe will the eventual winners of the tournament Brazil.Brazil for all their accolades have never won the Olympic tournament, they finished with the Bronze in 2008 after losing 3-0 to their loving rivals Argentina. While Spain are most bookies favourites, Brazil are getting good odds too with Paddy Power (yes i had to choose the stereotypical Irish Bookies) giving them the favourites tag at 15/8. After the disappointing 2010 world cup Brazillian football has been a rebuilding phase. The reigns have been handed to their young guns many of them still playing in their native league.The Squad:Rafael Cabral (Santos), Neto (Fiorentina); Alex Sandro (Porto), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Rafael (Manchester United), Danilo (Porto), Thiago Silva (AC Milan), Bruno Uvini (Sao Paulo), Juan (Inter Milan); Sandro (Tottenham), Romulo (Spartak Moscow), Paulo Henrique Ganso (Santos), Oscar (Internacional), Lucas Moura (Sao Paulo); Neymar (Santos), Leandro Damiao (International), Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Hulk (Porto)
Some names are more recognizable than others Alexandre Pato, Neymar and Hulk particularly eye-catching. Of course anyone with the name Hulk would grab your attention. This squad does not deviate all that much from their usual squad with the emphasis in recent been focused on their youth, from what i have read many Brazilians have extreme confidence in their young players and consider this current batch to potentially be a Golden Generation. This crop of players have a lot to prove also, Brazilians are a proud and pa sionate nation when it comes to their football so they ought to be a bit miffed at all the attention Spain are getting. Their flat and uninspiring World Cup performance in 2010 was
Maurice Canady Jersey the last time they were on the global stage, the Olympics is this new prospective golden generations chance to announce their arrival to the world, and also start building momentum for the 2014 World Cup.When asked about his views on Brazils squad, Barcelona and Brazillian legend Romario delivered a golden soundbyte Its shit. he followed by exclaiming Nothing against the over-23s who were selected, but this should have gone to players who are more experienced,. When Romario isnt over exaggerating his goal tally just like us men over exaggerate our sexual
Brandon Williams Jersey conquests (Seriously its 1000 women, no joke, two of them were models as well) he is given audacious and controversial quotes to reporters. While i should respect the opinion of such a decorated player i think its laughable that anyone would consider this squad anything other than brilliant. Three overage players he is referring to are Thiago Silva, who is widely regarded as quite a cracking player, Hulk whose muscles justify the name, also a cracking player and Marcelo, has some great moments not too sound defensively but buckets of experience I wouldnt be surprised if Romario recommended Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos and Jarzinho instead, actually he would probably recommend himself thrice just for good measure.The rest of the squad isnt too shabby either, plenty of exhilarating young talent that will be fresh to most viewers, also a few names we know from the Premier League such as Sandro, Tottenhams resident hardman and Rafael of Manchester United who on his day actually looks quite good, if only it was his day more often. A lot of the players are unproven at the highest level with most of them coming from the Brazilian league but its a team of highly regarded and promising young stars. The Olympics isnt really the highest level but it is a good showcase for many of these young players and with such strong competition this tournament a lot of European scouts will be watching closely as to gauge prospective players. Without further delay here are three players you should look out for.The Players to watch:NeymarI wanted to comment on something other than the hair, its a cliche at this point butTHE HAIRYou have probably have witne sed at least one of Neymars great goals on a Youtube compilation entitled OMG BEST GOALS EVER!!. He has arguably the best highlight reel of any modern day footballer, which is impre sive for a 20 year old. If you have
Nico Siragusa Jersey not witne sed him, I would strongly recommend checking him out on the youtube. You cant encapsulate his greatest moments in five minutes, but its a good introduction. Pundits, fans and ex-pros all view his potential as been on a Me si/Ronaldo level; at least Pele does, who refuses to call Me si the best player in the world until Neymar matures. Strong praise indeed, but is it justified or is it just hype?The moniker of The new Pele has been thrown around in the past. Its easy to over hype young Brazilian talent when all we see are clips and highlights. Flashy skill can be deceiving and tricks can divert attention away from flaws in ones game. So is Neymar just a murky legend that in two years will be in the Where are they now pile along with Kleberson and other flash in the pans? I can honestly put my hand on my heart, swear on Jim Morrisons grave and give my most honest of opinion and say no. I can also do a cartwheel but that is irrelevant. Yes, he is flashy, and attempts plenty of tricks; a couple may fail, but more often than not, he pulls it off. On top of his masterful ball control, he has great balance, a wicked shot, breathtaking pace and a knack for goalscoring as 41 goals in 86 games for Santos and 9 in 18 for Brazil prove. Neymar is not afraid to drop deep into his own half to pick up the ball and then proceed to cause havoc. His dribbling and drive give defenders nightmares and his pa sing can be overlooked but it is excellent. He draws defenders in, allowing
Lamar Jackson Jersey his team-mates to break free. With great skill comes the a sumption of been greedy, and while Neymar will always have a go at defenders, he has plenty of a sists and can play a lovely through ball. I would be looking at
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