MY ACCOUNT
Brazil coach Tite suggested Neymar has more influence in games for the Selecao than Paris Saint-Germain because at international level the team serves him more.
Neymar was in fine form as Brazil crushed South Korea 5-1 in a friendly on Thursday, with the PSG star scoring two penalties.
But that was just the tip of the iceberg with respect to his performance, as he pulled the strings and proved Brazil’s biggest creative outlet.
His eight key passes was more than double the figure recorded by anyone else on the pitch, as South Korea failed to deal with him.
Neymar’s showing in Seoul might be seen by some as a departure from his showings for PSG this term, with the Ligue 1 champions apparently willing to let him leave.
Tite thinks he can offer an explanation as to why Neymar may appear more important to Brazil.
“Neymar is a bow and an arrow, depending on the circumstances of the game,” Tite told reporters. “He has that ability.
“At PSG, he often plays even a little deeper than Messi and Mbappe. Not here, he’s more the arrow.
“He gets more rewards. The team works to give him this clarity, this creativity in this respect. We have a very supportive team.”
Thursday’s result was an impressive one, with Brazil creating a host of chances against the home side.
One aspect that particularly impressed Tite was their intensity despite having to adjust to the time zone.
“The Brazilian team has been at a [certain] performance level in recent games of ours,” he continued.
“Doing this away from home – in a different environment and situation, with our internal clock, with the time zone – is difficult.
“I had to drink a load of coffee, and if you’re not in the right frame of mind, it’s hard to do that at this level of performance.
“I liked not only those in the starting XI, but also those who came on, even more so with some players coming on later and bringing that level of performance.
“I speak of the ‘quick legs’. The more Fabio [Mahseredjian, Brazil fitness coach] puts in, the more the opponent wears out. Brazil had a pattern of performance in recent games.”
Brazil will remain in the region for Monday’s friendly against Japan in Tokyo.
