Santos s Red Card Prince, Cinderella in the World Cup? On the &quot of Brazilian football s "Horse Dilemma"!

1. Santos' "Red Card Fairy Tale" and Real Dilemma

On the stage of the 11th round of the Brazilian League, Neymar used a red card to write a dramatic footnote for his Santos career. When he completed that slightly tragic performance with the iconic "Hand of God" in the penalty area, the world heard the sigh of time gears. The 33-year-old veteran contributed 3 goals and 3 assists in 12 games, but it seems plain but has hidden mystery - he creates 2.1 excellent opportunities every 90 minutes, which ranks in the top five in the Brazilian League. But the shadow of injuries is always with him. He missed 10 games due to injury in 12 games. The "old problem" of his ankle even forced the team doctor to formulate a "Day of the Dead" rehabilitation plan for him.

Nearby, Neymar is at the crossroads of his career. The contract with Santos is about to expire, but negotiations for renewal are deadlocked. If he chooses to leave, he will lose his stable platform in the Brazilian league; if he stays, behind the sky-high salary of 650,000 euros per month (plus the share of portrait rights of 13.4 million euros) is the club's desperate bet on his commercial value. The nature of this "high-risk investment" reflects Neymar's difficult balance between athletics and business.

2. In the national team's "Screadinger's Summoning"

Ancelotti's national team roster, Neymar's absence seems unexpected, but it is inevitable. When Rivaldo said bluntly that "recruiting him will attract criticism", it revealed the complex mentality of Brazil's football towards the veteran. Data shows that Neymar's appearance rate in the past five years is less than 60%, and his average number of violations per game in Santos has dropped sharply from 9.8 at his peak to 3.2 - this is not because his opponent has become civilized, but because his threat of breakthrough is declining.

But Ancelotti did not close the door. "He is an iconic figure in Brazilian football, past, present and future. " This statement not only gave Neymar hope, but also laid the groundwork - state is the only pass. In the critical stage of the World Cup qualifiers, what Brazil needs is not feelings, but the ability to fight Bolivia away on the plateau and suppress Argentina's immediate combat power at home in the riverbed. Currently ranked fourth, they are only one step away from qualifying directly, and they cannot tolerate any mistakes.

3. The Brazilian chariot in the post-Nemar era

When Brazil's team stopped in the quarterfinals in the 2024 Copa America, people began to realize that without Neymar's Samba Legion, the dance steps were no longer light. Although the combination of Vinicius and Rodrigo was highly expected, the two had a 37% turnover rate in key battles than Neymar. What's even more serious is that Brazil's midfield creativity has fallen to its lowest level in the past decade, and Casemiro's defensive hardness cannot make up for the barrenness of the offensive end.

Ancelotti's tactical reform is quietly underway. He tried to push Vinicius to the middle to create the "pseudo-Nine" tactic, and at the same time activated Arsenal's Martinelli as the burst point on the wing. This "de-Nemarization" strategy has initially achieved results in a friendly match against Uruguay - the team's ball possession rate has increased by 12%, but the finishing efficiency has decreased by 21%. The data reveals the cruel reality: what Brazil needs is not a Messi-like leader, but a "adhesive" that can connect the attack group.

4. The road to breaking the deadlock: Redemption and rebirth

For Neymar, the key to returning to the national team is in his own hands. He needs to determine his next step as soon as Santos' contract expires. He needs to prove that the teenager who dances in the Camp Nou corridor can still cause a storm in the Brazilian League. If he can maintain the current efficiency of successfully surpassing 1.8 times every 90 minutes and control the red card frequency below every 20 games, Ancelotti may reconsider his position.

And the future of Brazil depends on the growth rate of the younger generation. Vinicius' transformation at Real Madrid is exciting. He averaged 3.2 key passes per game this season, which is close to Neymar's peak level. Rodrigo's calm finishing ability has been verified in the Champions League. If this pair of "Real Madrid Double Stars" can establish a tacit understanding in the qualifiers, the Brazilian team is fully capable of creating a new generation of "3R combinations".

Summary

Neimar's World Cup road is like a samba dance drama full of suspense. Whether he can complete the redemption in the coming months will determine whether he can continue to write legends on the US, Canadian and Mexican stage. The fate of the Brazilian team has long surpassed the rise and fall of a single star - what it needs is a tactical innovation, a gorgeous turn from "personal show" to "team dance". When Ancelotti's tactical board no longer relies on that familiar No. 10 figure, perhaps it was the beginning of Samba football's true rebirth.

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