Neymar ready to spike Barca's world ambitions
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Shanghai Daily, December 18, 2011
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Santos FC striker Neymar performs during his team's training session at Todoroki Stadium in Kawasaki, south of Tokyo, Japan, 16 December 2011. Santos will face FC Barcelona in the FIFA Club World Cup final on December 18 in Yokohama. |
Barcelona has had its thunder stolen before today's Club World Cup final in Japan, with endless questions about hot-shot Santos striker Neymar rammed down its throat daily.
The Spanish and European champion, bidding to win the seven-team competition for the second time in three years, boast arguably the world's best player in Lionel Messi.
Yet try as Barcelona might not to talk about Neymar, the name of the 19-year-old Brazil forward keeps cropping up.
"Neymar is a very dangerous player," Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola told reporters on the eve of a mouth-watering final in Yokohama. "I expect a cracking game."
Neymar has set tongues wagging in Japan, Brazil's pin-up boy scoring a wonder goal as he sparked Santos to a 3-1 semifinal win over J-League champion Kashiwa Reysol.
"We watched Santos on TV and individually they're very dangerous," said Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas, grinning sheepishly as he anticipated what was coming next. "Neymar is a brilliant player. But it's not just about him.
"This is the game of the season for us. You have to win the Champions League to get here so we badly want to win this trophy to have the right to be called 'world champions'."
Guardiola has demanded victory after the blow of losing Spain striker David Villa to a leg break in its 4-0 semifinal thrashing of Qatar's al-Sadd.
"Santos are a technically gifted team, physical and very quick," he said. "It's not easy to come out to Japan and win the Club World Cup.
"They have a fantastic player in Neymar and also in (Paulo Henrique) Ganso. They will be a real threat but we are prepared for whatever they throw at us."
Santos, which captured its third Libertadores Cup in June almost 50 years after Pele led it to back-to-back titles in 1962 and 1963, was also brimming with confidence.
"I will not be the beast who limits Barcelona's ball possession," Santos coach Muricy Ramalho said cryptically, aware the Catalans start as favorites. "Nobody can manage this. We have to put pressure on them and gamble on some things happening - like a through-ball from Ganso or Elano, or a stroke of genius from Neymar perhaps.
"Neymar will definitely do something," said Ramalho, returning inevitably to his striker with the blond mohican. "I have no doubt he will make them suffer."
