While his starting place is not guaranteed, due to Brazilian head coach Tite's qualms about Serbia's attacking potential, Vinicius Junior is one of Brazil's biggest stars. He also plays for Real Madrid, where he has recently suffered the aggression of his opponents, generating a debate about the high number of fouls he is subjected to and his reactions following them. In an interview with Reuters, Vinicius opens up about what its like to play in his first World Cup.
Vinicius Junoir will experience the first World Cup and despite his young age he still can be considered a star of the Seleção along with other big names from whom he has learned a lot as he was growing up. His amazing experience with Real Madrid and also the great performances in this season will surely put him as a contender for the starting eleven in every game. In an interview for Reuters, Vinicius opens up about what its like to play in his first World Cup, showing love and respects for his idols and pushing himself to always improve.
Neymar the idol and relationship with him: "He [Neymar] went through a lot when he was young, playing so small and with so much pressure, so he's one of those who today is making sure that everything is easier for the new generation," Vinicius said. It's a dream to be with him because we grew up idolising him. What he does as a leader is very important, and he knows that by helping us we can help him too and have a great World Cup”.
The pressure that comes with being a star: "I listen a lot. I like to learn from the more experienced players, like Karim [Benzema] and Neymar. Carrying the pressure has always been easy for me, being a star, as you say. I've always been sensible. It helps to play for Real Madrid and Brazil because I can learn from all those great players who have won a lot in their careers".
The social impact: "I believe I need to do more. I see how sportsmen like Lewis Hamilton and LeBron James do good deeds and I want to do that, help people in different ways. Education is important because not everyone can be a footballer; many try, but not everyone succeeds. That's why I do my best to help people in Brazil to improve and evolve as a person. If they focus on the guidelines to follow we can get more people to go to university, more doctors, more teachers... better teachers”.
Being helped by the Ballon D’or winner: "He [Benzema] was the one who told me to be calm and have peace of mind because if the rivals come after you it's because you're important, because they're scared of you. That's why when I take the ball and go forward I do it with strength. Yes, I can get injured, but I'm prepared”.
Vinicius Jr. has had a difficult time especially in this season as he as been the target to be fouled by opponents very often. Carlo Ancelotti has also raised his concern about this earlier, saying: “It’s being suggested that Vinícius is a troublemaker, but he is the player who is fouled the most, hit the most, pushed the most. That’s the reality. Fair play isn’t as common in Latin countries. It’s much more common in other countries. But, fair play is one of the most important parts of football. Trying to provoke a player isn’t fair play, whether it’s physically or verbally, but Vinícius needs to improve in his response to this. He’s young, so he will improve in this aspect”.
Actually, based on stats provided by BeSoccer Pro, Vinicius Junior is the most fouled player in Spain and in the top 3 most fouled players in the big 5 leagues. Vinicius receives about 3.3 fouls every 90 minutes and his next closest companion in this statistic in La Liga is Enes Unal with 2.55 per game. The Brazilian has been visibly frustrated on the field in recent weeks and the data gives credence to the Real Madrid winger’s lack of protection from referees. These plays have put him at risk in many cases, turning it into a real struggle to protect himself from the injuries. In this phase of the season, with the World Cup already at the door, it may not be surprising at all to suffer an injury serious enough to cause skipping the whole competition.
The young Brazilian commented it as follows: "What happens on the pitch stays there, but it got out of hand. You can go in hard, but they were dirty. Rodrygo and I suffered a lot in recent games and we feared the worst, getting injured and missing the World Cup. When you start to become an important player, the opponents go after you harder and you have to learn to take it. I learned a lot from Neymar when he was at Barcelona, he suffered a lot too. Just like Cristiano when he was at Real Madrid”.
Meanwhile, as Brazil comes into the World Cup as one of the main contenders to lift the trophy, the coach Tite has many alternatives on his mind, especially in the defense and the attack. In the attack, one name that intrigues everyone is exactly Vinicius Junior. His ten goals (and five assists) for Real Madrid, statistically, put him behind only Neymar among the candidates to start the World Cup and Tite knows this very well.
The Serbian outfit are a tough side with a strong attack and, for that reason, Brazil coach Tite was considering opting for a less fanciful line-up than the usual one which has more attacking characteristics. For this reason, it was suggested Vinicius could leave his place to the more experienced players, while also keeping in mind that he is mature enough to make a change in the right moment, something he has constantly shown at Real Madrid when he has emerged as a substitute during the game.
In the last friendly, played vs Tunisia, Tite preferred Raphinha (who scored twice and assisted once) and Lucas Paqueta on the wings, with Neymar as a central attacking midfielder with a role focused more on the organizational aspect. However, Vinicius Jr. found his way in the 2nd half and played a decent game. Maybe will see this rotation between the two very often in this World Cup. Tite’s plan however turned out to be courageous as Vinicius appeared in the starting eleven in 1st game of Seleção in Qatar.
At the end, Brazil overcame Serbia in their opening match of the World Cup with a great performance from Vini Jr, who participated in both goals of the Canarinha. Richarlison scored after the Serbian keeper had blocked a Vini Jr. attempt for the first. Then, to make it two, the Madrid man assisted Richarlison's acrobatic finish from the left side with a beautiful curled cross, kicked with the outside of his right boot. Both goals came after the break. He finished his performance with 1 assist, 4 key passes, 4 shots (1 on target) and 2 completed dribbles (from 4 attempted)
Another Madridista replaced Vini Jr. in the 76th minute: Rodrygo came on for his Real Madrid teammate and played on the left wing. Rodrygo played with the same intent at Vinicius and looked eager to score a World Cup goal. Real Madrid and Brazil’s No. 21 nearly scored with a curling right foot shot that looked destined for the upper 90. Rodrygo was positive with his touches and did not look over awed by the occasion.
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