Prospects Corner: Neymar

Yes ladies and gentlemen, the one and only, Neymar. The man they say is the next Pele. The prodigal son. The shining light of Brazilian football. The savior. The new beginning. Call him what you want, he’s brilliant. Defenders in South America can’t handle him. Not too surprising, he’s ruthless. I shall begin, as what is now becoming customary for Austin blogs (rants), at the beginning. J  The prodigy began where he currently resides, at Santos. Yes, the comparison wheel is spinning and it keeps landing on… Pele! See if you can spot the similarities as we go (get ready for some Where’s Waldo shit). Neymar has been registered as a Santos member for nine years already. He progressed through the ranks and at 14; he was given a trail at Real Madrid. Santos were not about to give away their next sensation and this was back in the time of the first Galácticos. His chances in a first team role would have been limited, competing against the likes of Zidane, Ronaldo (the fat one) and Robinho to name a few. So he stayed. And man, Madrid must be kicking themselves today! It’s funny because they did the same with Pepe; they could have signed him at 21 for about €3 million but instead waited three years for him to be worth €30 million. Don’t get me started. Side bar — back to the task at hand. Neymar made his profession debut at the tender age of 17 coming on as a substitute late in a 2-1 victory over Oeste. I think they knew he would be a hit because he played 48 more games that season, scoring 14 goals… At 17!?! What the hell kind of season has over 48 season games and what 17-year-old is mature enough to play two games a week of 24 weeks?!? Anyways, crazy Brazilian schedules aside, the child star continued his ascendancy and became a full starter the following season. Now stats are getting boring. The way the kid moves is almost unstoppable! Like Pele, Neymar is incredibly fast, has a wicked touch and an eye for goal (40 of them in 84 appearances… At 20?!?!). He couldn’t overcome his comparer who at 18 years old scored 58 goals in one season. Yes, that’s Pele for you. Neymar is a force to be reckoned with and every defender on that continent is well aware of this fact. Having already won 19 personal honors at national and international levels and being worth approximately £65 million and rising every year, the young forward from São Paulo is destined for greatness. But is he better then Pele? Only time will tell.