The natural successor: Has Neymar blown it?

Why the feck are senior players not having the balls to take the first penalty? Why couldn't Neymar take the first one? I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have allowed Rodrygo a shot if Brazil earned a penalty during the match. The manager has to be the most idiotic to allow it as well.
I'd say it's down to Rodrygo being the best in training and Neymar being the most studied penalty shooter. My main gripe is all these idiotic slow penalties that I have seen during this WC. Look at Croatias first guy, he showed right then and there that they meant business. Don't know why more players don't just strike it hard and high. Should not be a problem technically for pros.
 
He scored tonight and it should have been the goal to see them through but he should have scored more...
 
He was obviously not 100% fit and he really struggled to drop back
He should have been taken off for the 2nd half of extra time
 
Indeed. Someone with his level of shooting experience has to go either first or third, but no further than that. But instead, he shies away from the task the same way the senior England players at the last Euro and Arjen Robben did before him.

In any case, this is where my final 2 cents stand about his career and all the hype about him becoming the next big thing:



 
How old is he? Might play the next World Cup no? But his injury problems might prevent that.

Great player to watch on his day, never lived up to his hype though. Think he should have gone to another club from Barca.
 
I am very sure the penalty order is decided before the game. Neymar, Ronaldo, et al don't get to decide, and if they do that is an indictment on their managers.

Modric didn't go first either.
Modric went third, thereby guaranteeing that he will take one. Putting your best penalty takers 4th and 5th is simply stupid. *cough* Ronaldo *cough*
 
Modric went third, thereby guaranteeing that he will take one. Putting your best penalty takers 4th and 5th is simply stupid. *cough* Ronaldo *cough*

The criticism seems to come from the idea that 5th penalty takers select that slot due to ego considerations. I highly doubt this.

Plus, the best players may not necessarily be the best penalty takers *cough*Scholes/Messi*cough*
 
I love Neymar but not taking a penalty is criminal. Ronaldo has been guilty of the same on a couple of occasions. Your best attackers should be taking them early.
 
Probably was one of the worst players on the pitch, looks slow and lethargic. Probably unfit but he was woeful at times, constantly gave the ball away.

Great to have equaled the record of Pele though. I really hoped he would have an outstanding World Cup
 


Sandler is great for the one-liner, but Bobby adds the extra mustard by calling the guy a (insert adjective here) feck, that chances were offered to that guy to do something, and that the guy just blew it. Also helps that Bobby was chewing food while doing it. :D
 
Think blaming him is stupid. But he supported Bolsonaro, so feck him
 
Love seeing the jumped-up Bolsonaro-supporting wanker cry. It might be childish, but I don't care. He's a prick and always has been.
 
Will ultimately go down as a mere footnote in Brazil's history. Scoring records are meaningless.
 
He wasn't too bad too night.

Also bashing him for supporting bolsrano is pretty cringe.
 
Don’t think bashing someone who supported a fashy pol is cringe at all.
feck 49 percent of Brazilian people am I right?

I know it's naive to think we were less politicized before but for it to be to a degree where folk bash players for the political choices when they're not even from there is ridiculous.
 
feck 49 percent of Brazilian people am I right?

I know it's naive to think we were less politicized before but for it to be to a degree where folk bash players for the political choices when they're not even from there is ridiculous.
:lol:

Bigger issues than football exist. Support fashy pols, expect criticism. Simples.
 
feck 49 percent of Brazilian people am I right?

I know it's naive to think we were less politicized before but for it to be to a degree where folk bash players for the political choices when they're not even from there is ridiculous.
To be fair, I don’t care where they’re from, is someone supports a facist I’ll call them a cnut.
 
Surely he has to step up and take the pen to keep Brazil in the tournament?

Every time, I ask myself why some seasoned veterans with enough experience in that part of the job don't step up to take penalties. IMHO, Neymar had to shoot either 1st or 3rd in line.
 
The criticism seems to come from the idea that 5th penalty takers select that slot due to ego considerations. I highly doubt this.

Plus, the best players may not necessarily be the best penalty takers *cough*Scholes/Messi*cough*
Taking a penalty at this stage is about nerves. You need your best penalty takers going 1, 2, 3. Having your star, whether it is Neymar or Ronaldo, going 5th to get their hero moment is stupid. Modric went third and Messi first. That is how you do it.
 
How old is he? Might play the next World Cup no? But his injury problems might prevent that.

Great player to watch on his day, never lived up to his hype though. Think he should have gone to another club from Barca.
30, but he’s had so many injuries over the years, plus his lifestyle is far from ideal to make him a realistic option for 2026.
 
Best Dancer Fifa Award - he nailed it.
 
He's hinting that he's retiring from international football.
 
An overall disappointing tournament for Neymar imo

Brazil is overrated though. Raphina and Richarlison are among their least capable attacking players ever to appear on a World Cup. Not terribly impressed by the likes of Antony either.

I had them as top 3 favorites purely going by name but now that I've seen them play it wasn't all that good.
 
He's hinting that he's retiring from international football.

Oh come on, almost assured to be at 2026. Needs it for the American market if anything for his post-retirement life. If Messi had the talent coming through Brazil has, he'd be at 2026 in a more casual role.
 
Are you allowed to change the orders of the takers after the shootout has begun? Genuine question. How do penalty shootouts work in the professional game? Do you give a list to the officials or is it a bit more laissez-faire?

You submit a list that can't be changed. Not just for the first 5 takers, but for all 11* players should it go to sudden death. If it's still going you go back to the start and go through in the same order again.

*That's assuming there is 11 players on the pitch for both teams as one or more players might have been sent off, or one team having made all their subs could have a player pick up a serious injury and have to leave the game. If a team finds themselves with an extra player or players at the start of the shoutout they have to nominate someone who won't take one to even the numbers up otherwise it might get 10-10 and someone crap is taking your 11th pen with one of the better penalty takers who originally took his team's first one taking their 11th.
 
To be fair, I don’t care where they’re from, is someone supports a facist I’ll call them a cnut.

Yeah, we can have boring lib arguments all day long or whatever but Bolsonaro is clearly over the line, there's definitely LGBT posters here and other fans from groups his government went after, surely the priority.
 
Ronaldinho slightly higher 3-5 year peak for me.
His peak was higher, but it was about a couple of years for me, the rest of the time Neymar has been far more consistent IMO, although he's had bad luck with injuries and was in a much poorer Brazil team.
 
Probably the logical conclusion seeing how lacking dinhio was longevity.
Yep, 2006 was supposed to be his year and he got upstaged completely by a 34 year old Zidane, and never really got back anywhere close to his level after that.
 
Yep, 2006 was supposed to be his year and he got upstaged completely by a 34 year old Zidane, and never really got back anywhere close to his level after that.
His all time reputation is a bit inflated due to his peak but to be fair it was a joy to watch.

I don't think he was a great big game player either (going off by memory here) so probably opposite of Zidane when it came to that.
 
Difference between Dinho and Neymar is the former wasn't overshadowed by Messi and didn't get injury after injury during his prime years