It takes more than talent to be a leader. Talent doesn’t make you responsible, diligent, or reliable. Talent can’t make you say what needs to be said in order to get something done. Talent is incredibly important, but it is only part of what matters when it comes to be a leader, and this is just as true in soccer as it is in any other vocation in the world.
Look, every person deserves a vacation. The stress of work can get to us all, especially when we fail horribly at something, like, I don’t know, the Brazilian National Team has for the entire past year.
When we go to Las Vegas, we tend to come back penniless and missing a kidney, having had to sell one of ours in order to get back home because, again, we're penniless. Las Vegas is an inhospitable place where dreams go to die and money is sucked out of our wallets as if Vegas is employing an industrial vaccuum.
The talk about the Brazilian national squad going through difficult times in international soccer has returned after the blowout loss against Germany in World Cup semifinals last year at home and the loss to Paraguay in the quarterfinals of this year’s Copa America in penalty kicks.
How old is Neymar?
The short answer is 24, but that's the short answer. We're not here for the short answer. We're breaking it down so far that no one will ever wonder how old Neymar is again. You can thank us later.
Neymar may have sunk Brazil's Copa America chances for the same reason he sunk Brazil's World Cup chances: not being on the field.
It's a little different this time around though. Instead of being sidelined with a debilitating back injury, Neymar will watch the rest of the Copa America from the sidelines because he ran his mouth to the ref.
Against Colombia, Neymar was sent off immediately following the match, a Colombia victory, for what Brazil fans will call a nudge and Colombia fans will call assault and battery. The truth, as always, lies somewhere in the middle.
Neymar’s red card against Colombia in the Copa America - which will see him miss the rest of the tournament - has been one of the most talked about points in the competition thus far, and Brazilian legend and commentator Ronaldo just weighed in on the forward’s action.
As one of the most prolific players to put on the yellow and green of Brazil, Ronaldo’s disappointment and criticism of Neymar perfectly sums up the current mood of the country and their hopes of progressing in the tournament.
In an attempt to regain pride for Brazil after their early World Cup exit, Neymar may have just embarrassed the nation yet again after being sent off in their Copa America match against Colombia.
After the final whistle blew with Colombia in the lead, Brazil’s poster boy came head-to-head with Murillo who seemed to egg him on. One thing lead to another resulting in Neymar attempting to headbutt the Colombian defender. Naturally, Carlos Bacca rushed over to protect his teammate by violently shoving Neymar away. Both players were sent off for unsporting behavior.
Barcelona have won the treble with possibly the deadliest front three in the modern game, and there is simply no stopping them. As Messi, Suarez and Neymar (MSN) now fight against each other in the Copa America, Luis Enrique is busy behind his desk in Spain creating the next squad that can sustain the current reputation. Which, let's be honest, is as hot as the Hindenburg right before it exploded.
Here are some of the possible line-ups Luis Enrique could use to ensure back-to-back championships:
Option 1 – Play Messi Wide, Send In Pogba As Reinforcement
There has been a lot of talk over what will happen once Father Time takes his toll on Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo; who will take their place? Many are quick to throw out names such as Pogba, Hazard, and Neymar. These names are all certainly nothing else than the most talented young players on the planet, but they are no Messi or Ronaldo.