Santos

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior has been a prodigious talent since he first signed for Santos at the age of 13. History dictates that success in Brazil inevitably leads to a big-money transfer to Europe, and offers for the spiky-haired 20-year-old have been flooding into his Sao Paolo club for several years.

If speculation is to be believed, Chelsea, PSG, Manchester City, Juventus and Real Madrid have all been clambering over one another for the Samba star's signature in recent months.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUeb_zSkEkQ

Well-connected Spanish journalist Guillem Balague, meanwhile, has taken to Twitter to claim that a deal with Barcelona has already been agreed.

The Catalan club's latest accounts, Balague claims, include a vaguely labelled payment of €40 million set aside for the player, who he expects to arrive in Spain after the 2014 World Cup.

This week, Neymar has poured gasoline all over the Barcelona transfer rumour flames by expressing his "dream" (Marca via Goal.com) to play alongside Lionel Messi. It's worth mentioning that Santos' website denied any deal was in place with Barcelona (per Goal.com).

Although the Santos sensation has been whetting European appetites with sublime performances and stupendous goals in South America for a long time, a move to Europe does not appear to be on the cards soon.

Despite the promise of astronomical remuneration, Neymar told Reuters this week that his predestined move to Europe must wait: "I'm happy here in Brazil, I'm happy at Santos. I have a dream of playing in Europe, but it's still not the right moment."

Why does Neymar feel the need to delay his ineluctable move? With three Campeonato Paulistas, a Copa Libertadores and a Copa do Brasil acquired over the past few seasons, what else is left to achieve in South America? Wouldn't playing abroad give him experience that could prove beneficial to Brazil's World Cup campaign? Isn't there a danger of staying too long in a league that does not challenge him to his full potential?

Some have suggested he is too young and unworldly to move to Europe. However, Neymar is just a few months shy of 21, the age at which Ronaldinho and Kaka both made the continental switch. Ronaldo was just 17 when he moved to PSV Eindhoven in 1994. His Brazilian teammate Oscar was just 20 when he arrived at Chelsea, and he has adapted to the English game extremely well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bze1tqF7sio

Others suggest he may not cope with the pressures of the European game. Is a man with 25 international caps, 11 separate sponsorship deals and the weight of his nation's expectations on his shoulders not used to pressure?

The fear, it seems, is that he will burn out, or struggle to acclimatise to a higher standard of play.

In the two biggest games of his career––Brazil's Olympic final loss to Mexico and Santos' Club World Cup final loss to Barcelona––he was disappointing.

Former Brazil national team coach Dunga has expressed his concerns (via Goal.com) surrounding any potential move, saying he must gain more experience in his homeland before venturing abroad, for the sake of his career and his World Cup campaign.

Pele has also weighed in (Fox Sports via Goal.com), asserting that the 20-year-old would not cope with the physicality of the Premier League. 

Unless the financial temptations prove too strong to resist, it would appear Neymar's European odyssey is a few years away. We may never know if the benefit of staying put outweighs the cost of missed opportunities in Europe, but as it stands, European football is almost certainly worse off without him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0KdNvjAOQQ

Here we go again. Neymar plus ball plus overmatched defenders equals pure video bliss.

We've seen stuff like this before (many, many, many times before, in fact), but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. Feast your eyes on the video above. In it, you'll see Neymar schooling a few defenders and a goalkeeper on the way to the latest of his trademark solo golazos.

Enjoy it once. Enjoy it 37 times. Keep coming back throughout the day. It's our Set Piece Video of the Day for this Thursday.

The goal came Wednesday night in Santos' 2-2 draw with Atletico Mineiro in the Brasileirão. Here's how it went.

Starting in the middle of the field, Neymar beats an Atletico player with a cheeky backheel flick, then he races past the same defender and another so fast that they run into each other.

From there, it's smooth sailing until the edge of the box, where Neymar embarrasses yet another defender, this time with a deft pullback and stutter-step combination.

After that, all he has to do is beat the goalkeeper from inside the box. Child's play.

And when we say child's play, we're almost being serious. Neymar is still just 20, after all, a fact that's even more impressive when you consider Wednesday's match served as his 200th appearance for Santos.

Another impressive factoid: This match happened exactly one day after Neymar played for Brazil against Japan in Poland (yeah, he also scored two goals in that game). As others have pointed out, Neymar is now so good that he's impervious to jet lag.

So while this isn't his most impressive feat (that Flamengo goal still rules over all), it's up there.

Somebody please get this kid to Europe, pronto.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3fcMKIczjQ

It's the second law of pop culture dynamics. In the pop culture universe, one ubiquitous thing tends to stay in motion until meeting another ubiquitous thing.

And then they blow up in a blaze of pop culture overload.

That's what we have in store this time for the Set Piece Video of the Day.

As a football fan, you're intimately aware of Neymar, the 20-year-old Brazilian wunderkind. If you're like us, you had to go and double-check that Neymar is still only 20, because it feels like he's been in our collective consciousness for a good decade.

Meanwhile, as a living, breathing human being, you can't help but be aware of the latest dance fad sweeping the globe. It's called "Gangnam Style" and it's an annoyingly catchy tune from the musical hotbed known as K-Pop.

That's South Korea if you didn't know. Here's what you already know: The song is everywhere, and everybody in the history of everybody has put out a parody.

This week we've seen a Real Madrid-themed version (look at Mesut move!), and our personal favorite involves the Oregon Ducks, a college team from the American version of football.

So now we have Neymar and his recently crucified body doing the "Gangnam Style" dance in the Santos dressing room. Yes, it's only a few seconds long, but it's just about everything you hoped it might be—from the sideways baseball cap to the grinding moves he puts on his teammate's face.

That's what we call winning, Neymar. Keep it up.

[h/t 101 Great Goals]

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Roughly 21 months ahead of the 2014 World Cup, Neymar remains a Santos player and a highly visible hero in his homeland.

Count that as a victory for Brazil, both as a national football team and, considering the country's love affair with the game, the nation itself.

But how long will Neymar stick around? And how important is it to Brazil—again, both the team and the country—that he does?

To answer those questions, let's back up almost a year.

In November 2011, Neymar, then 19, signed a new contract with Santos that paid him a salary comparable to that of a star in a major European League.

According to The Independent, Neymar brings in about £550,000 of net pay per month with the new deal. That works out to about £6.6 million per year.

The salary itself matters in that it gives Neymar a legitimate reason to stay in his homeland through the 2014 World Cup. What might be more important, though, was the manner in which Santos raised the money for the contract.

According to that Independent story, paying Neymar became a "national issue."

Neymar has already become an icon of the famed Brazilian beautiful game and, it is hoped, a symbol of its return.

With a popularity that transcends club loyalties, based largely on the hope he can inspire Brazil's return to the jogo bonito after the unpopular Dunga years, keeping Neymar at home became a national issue.

The Santos president, Luis Alvaro Ribeiro, even called on the Brazilian President, Dilma Rousseff, to help. The Spanish bank Santander, a major player in Brazil, took out double-page newspaper adverts proclaiming itself proud to have contributed to keeping the player at home. It is one of seven companies tied into an imaginative contract with Neymar and Santos, the club realising it needed help topping up the £90,000-a-month salary it could pay.

The new contract was designed to keep Neymar at home with his boyhood club through the 2014 World Cup, which will be held in Brazil. If that wasn't a strong enough indicator of the importance Neymar commands in Brazil, Santos president Luis Alvaro's comments last month might have been just that.

Sao Paulo, another famous Brazilian club, had just agreed to sell another rising Brazilian star, Lucas Moura, to Paris Saint-Germain for €45 million.

With the sale (Lucas will join PSG in January) still fresh, Alvaro insisted that Neymar was even more valuable than the reported £57 million (about €72 million) buyout clause in his contract.

"I am adamant in saying that Neymar is priceless," Alvaro told Lance (via ESPN FC). "Millions and millions of euro, dollars and reais could not pay for him. He is a unique player, he's distinguished, he is the great idol of Brazilian football, for whom it is impossible to negotiate for."

That hasn't stopped the speculation. Last year, widespread reports indicated Neymar had signed for Real Madrid in a £53 million deal. The reports turned out to be false.

On Wednesday, Goal.com published a report in which Barcelona defender Dani Alves—a fellow Brazilian—said he is "looking forward to seeing Neymar and Lionel Messi play together."

That would indeed be a sight most of the world would love to see. For now, Neymar remains in Brazil, but for how long?

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Ubiquitous pop culture icons, unite. It's time for yet another mash-up of football and that pesky Carly Rae Jepsen song.

If you're a footie fan, you already know Neymar. The 20-year-old Brazilian is an up-and-coming super-duper-star, and pretty much every big club in Europe has already been linked with him for months.

Meanwhile, if you're a member of the human race, you already know Carly Rae Jepsen as well. At the very least, you know her gratingly, cloyingly, aggravatingly catchy song "Call Me Maybe."

Football and "Call Me Maybe" have already collided in video form. Crystal Palace and their cheerleaders did a version, and that one (for obvious reasons) was much appreciated.

But today is the be-all, end-all collision. It's the mash-up of all mash-ups.

Neymar, meet Carly. Carly, meet Neymar. Now, let's get this party going.

Neymar's club, Santos, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. To help mark the big milestone, Santos came up with the novel idea copied everyone in the history of sports and put out a parody video of that dang song.

You know, the gratingly, cloyingly, aggravatingly catchy one.

The video appears above. Enjoy it, or hate it—whatever. It's the Set Piece Video of the Day for Wednesday.

Of course, you know this means we'll be seeing the Barcelona (or Real Madrid) version sometime in 2013. Heaven help us.

[Video: Santos]

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exEhftbVXT8

Neymar is at it again, and so are we.

Earlier this week we brought you video of the budding Brazilian superstar doing his thing. The other day, that meant three goals for Brazil in an 8-0 rout of China in an international friendly.

Now it's back to league play with Santos. This time, we're pointing you to video of Neymar's latest solo special, a brilliant run and chipped shot in the Brazilian league.

The goal was Santos' second in a 2-0 victory over Flamengo on Wednesday night in the Brasileirão. The video, which appears above, serves as the Set Piece clip of the day. Enjoy.

If the name Flamengo sounds familiar, it should. Neymar scored perhaps his most famous goal against Flamengo in 2011, and that little piece of art won the 2011 FIFA Puskas Award for the best goal in the world all year.

That goal can be seen by clicking here.

Wednesday's goal wasn't quite as special, but it still required loads of skill. Neymar accepted a pass in the midfield, blazed past a couple defenders down on the edge of the 18-yard box, got to the byline, and chipped a perfectly weighted shot over the keeper and into the net.

It was unstoppable, just like Neymar is becoming.

Is it just me, or can World Cup 2014 (in Brazil) not come fast enough? We might see something truly memorable two summers from now.

One more question, real quick: Where does this goal rank among Neymar's growing dossier of great goals? Let me know in the comments.

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The London Olympics wrapped up four days ago after another fantastic display of talent from around the world. One talent in particular that showed his stuff in London is future Brazilian star Neymar. At only 20 years old Neymar is already a household name amongst football fans. He has shown a knack for finishing, fantastic touch, and great vision.

The problem is, he has been playing for Santos, a top team in Brazil. But that top team would be marginal at best in the big-time leagues. This is the dilemma. It has basically become a matter of time and situation before Neymar gets transferred to play in one of Europe's big divisions.

So did Neymar help or hurt his transfer case in London? I'll take a game by game look at his Olympic run with Brazil.

Game One: Brazil vs. Egypt

Neymar put in a fantastic effort in Brazil's first game of the tournament, a 3-2 win over Egypt. Neymar netted a goal and nearly had two others, just missing a head in in the 54th minute and a shot that just squeaked wide in the 10th minute. He played with solid pace and displayed the pure football instincts that have wowed many teams.

Result: Helped

Game Two: Brazil vs. Belarus

This may have been Neymar's best game of the Olympics. He delivered an outstanding performance in Brazil's 3-1 victory over Belarus. While he was slowed down during the first half, Neymar played as if a fire was lit under him for the second half and he went off.

After Brazil quickly went down 0-1 in the eight minute Neymar played a beautiful cross to teammate Alexandre Pato who knocked it in to tie the game up. He also displayed his already-strong free kick ability, knocking one home from outside box. It was gorgeous goal that showed why Neymar's name has become synonymous with future star.

He also set up another young Brazilian star, Oscar, in injury time when he went on a fantastic run and played another great cross to set up the score.

Result: Helped

Game Three: Brazil vs. New Zealand

The Kiwis were clearly outmatched in their group stage game against Brazil. This game was just to easy for Brazil. It was also the first game of the tournament in which Neymar didn't notch a goal.

It was still not a bad day for the 20-year-old, who led all players with seven shots—only two of which were on goal, however. Neymar was subbed out in the 76th minute in favor of Alexandre Pato. It was a quiet game to say the least, but not necessarily a bad one.

Result: No Change

Game Four: Brazil vs. Honduras

This was a feisty game from start to finish and upstart Honduras did not go down without a fight. After playing with a man down from the 33rd minute on, Honduras was not able to muster much of anything in the second half.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQzdpnCf_eQ

Neymar got back to his scoring ways, drilling home a penalty kick in the 51st minute. He only had three shots in the game, but two of them were on goal. He again played with a quick pace and put himself in positions to be successful. Another solid performance by Neymar.

Result: Helped

Game Five: Brazil vs. South Korea

Brazil came out swinging against South Korea, but they couldn't seem to find the back of the net early on in the match. It took a 38th minute goal from Romulo to get the Brazilians started. Damiao scored Brazil's other two goals as they easily advanced to the finals.

Neymar was not much of a factor in this one. He played the full 90 minutes, but could only muster two shots while committing four fouls. This was a game to forget for Neymar.

Result: Hurt

Game Six: Brazil vs. Mexico (Gold Medal Game)

Brazil were the favorites to win the Gold Medal at London, as many of their star players were eligible to play in the Olympics U23-style tournament. However, it was Mexico who won the gold 2-1 over the Brazilians.

Neymar played aggressively, to say the least. He had five shots, but he was not able to get any on goal. He played with his usual pace and looked to get his teammates involved, but Neymar and Brazil struggled all game to get in a rhythm.

This wasn't Neymar's worst performance, but I would have liked to have seen more out of him on the biggest stage of the tournament.

Result: No Change

Overall:

This was a strong tournament from start to finish for the 20 year old Brazilian star. He scored four goals, good for fifth in the tournament. He displayed the quickness, touch, vision, and speed that have many of Europe's top clubs drooling over him. It remains to be seen when he will actually be transferred, but the time is coming soon. The world better watch out for Neymar, because this kid is going to be a star.

Final Result: Helped

A report in The Mirror Thursday has linked Arsenal with Santos' talented young midfielder, Paulo Henrique Ganso, who is set to take part in the upcoming Olympic Games in London.

The story states that Wenger will monitor the player closely at the tournament before deciding on whether to bid for the 22-year-old.

Ganso is an attacking midfielder who has appeared eight times for the Brazilian national team and has scored 35 goals in 157 appearances for Santos.

Earlier this month, Ganso's representatives announced he was to leave the club, citing his frustration with club officials focusing too much on Neymar and resulting contract disputes (via Goal.com).

However, the same report states that Ganso would prefer to stay in Brazil for another year before considering a move abroad.

Any potential transfer would likely cost Arsenal in the region of £20 million—a deal that would spend most of the funds the club would receive from the sale of wantaway striker Robin van Persie, who continues to be linked with a number of clubs since announcing his intention to leave North London earlier this summer (via Daily Mail).

The Brazilian Olympic team is set to take on Great Britain in a friendly on Friday.

In the wake of big spending by rivals Chelsea, Arsene Wenger spoke of his frustration with the current bloated financial climate yesterday.

However, he believes that the club can still compete on the pitch, if not in the transfer market.

"But with this new financial environment, what has not changed at all is our policy that we will be as ambitious as ever and spend the money that we have available, if possible in an intelligent and wise way," he said (via Goal.com).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkSw_CLKsA0

Pele and pizza. It's such a magical combination that it makes one wonder: Why hasn't anyone thought of this before?

Pele—yes, that Pele, the consensus pick for Best Player in the History of the Universe—was spotted delivering pizzas Tuesday night in Brazil. According to 101 Great Goals, the whole idea of using Pele as a pizza delivery man was part of a marketing campaign by Santos, his former club.

The video of Pele's exploits as a pizza delivery man appears above as B/R's Viral Video of the Day.

During the footage, Pele flashes that million-dollar smile that helped make him an international superstar, jokes around with reporters and surprises unsuspecting pizza lovers with a delivery they'll never forget.

Everyone knows him, of course, even if they're understandably dumbfounded at first. After all, he is only the Best Player in the History of the Universe.

Pele, in fact, would probably be recognized if he did this on the streets of New York City.

OK, maybe not.

In any case, the pizza looks good, Pele looks surprisingly spry for a septuagenarian and Santos comes off looking like a fun-loving, hip club. Everybody wins.

Now the obvious question is, what could other legendary footballers do to top this? Maradona just lost his managing gig in the Middle East (ESPN Soccernet), so it's high time he did something randomly zany again.

If not, there are always other legends around.

Watching Franz Beckenbauer delivier Wiener schnitzel in Bavaria might not be pack quite the same punch, but what if Johan Cruyff were to guide random tourists through the…ahem…fun parts of Amsterdam?

I'd say, Sign me up.

(h/t 101 Great Goals)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgi-INdEEMI

We've already seen the highlights, the moves, the goals and the control (well, if not, here you go).

Today, we see something else.

Today's B/R Viral Video of the Day features Neymar, everybody's favorite mohawked Brazilian wunderkind, taking a blatant dive, faking an injury and getting an opponent booked unfairly.

If that sounds harsh, it's not. Take a look at the video and see for yourself.

Upon first viewing, you might be fooled. Don't worry, the ref was too. Once you see it again, though, you won't have any doubt.

That was a dive, and it was an egregious one at that. It came in a recent match against Gremio, and after the dive, Santos scored from the free kick.

Santos went on to win the match 4-2, if you're interested.

So, then, how egregious is this dive?

I'm reminded of Jurgen Klinsmann against Argentina in the 1990 World Cup final. The difference, of course, is that this clip comes from a game that wasn't quite as big.

But the rest is there: the dive after little or no contact, the rolling, the writhing, the feigned agony and, of course, the booking.

This brings up an interesting question. How are we to treat Neymar when he does stuff like this? He's already a world-famous superstar, and in the minds of many, he can do little wrong.

But if we're going to praise Neymar for all his best qualities (and by all means, I think we should), then we should also tell it like it is when he's not so admirable.

What do you think, readers? Full condemnation for Neymar? Or do we let it slide this one time?

(h/t Who Ate All The Pies)

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