Loading ...Jul 04 2008
Who is Thiago Neves?
That such a question can be asked in earnestness amongst serious football followers speaks to the growing divide between the European club scene and the rest of the world. The name rings true, but few in the Euro-centric footballing world know much of the play. Whereas the leagues of Brazil and Argentina were once feared for the fierce club filled with unknown talents that could emerge from the media black hole, information now travels faster, as do players. Most of the talent drained from Brazil’s Serie A and Argentina’s Primera Division has created a new black hole of neglect and ignorance.
How else can you explain most of the football-following world knowing little of Thiago Neves. Even as the results from Wednesday’s second leg of the Copa Libertadores finals were reported, LDU Quito’s triumph from the match was the story reported to the exclusion of all others. In a two match tie that ended 5-5, would you think one player scoring the last four of his team’s goals would be worth reporting? If yes, then you too are interested in Thiago Neves.
Neves is a 23-year-old attacker for the Brazilian side Fluminense. After LDU scored early in the second leg to go up 5-2 on aggregate, Neves scored three goals over the course of the next forty minutes to bring his team to even. He also scored Fluminense’s second goal in Quito, making him the only Fluzão player to score after a set piece goal from Darío Conca early in the first leg. Perhaps it goes without saying when one player is that prolific: he was the best player on the pitch.
Fluminense, favored entering the final tie, lost in part because they underestimated LDU Quito (and let their opponents jump out to early leads in each match), in part because Neves ran out of gas. After Neves’s second leg outburst, he ran out of steam, cutting short his tries on goal by taking low percentage shots from distance. Another goal, a winning goal, would have made a legend - a four goal night to win the Copa Libertadores. As is, he has made himself known.
Why did I know so little about Neves before last night? Neves won last season’s Bola de Ouro, given to the best player in Brazil. The previous winner of the award, Lucas Leiva, is a well known player for Liverpool. Winners in the preceding seasons - Carlos Tevez and Robinho - speak for themselves. Neves, however, came to the Bola de Ouro on less of a bullet. His coming off his first season back in Brazil after a stint in Japan where he obtained mixed results in the Japanese second division amidst word of general, personal instability. Returning to Brazil, Neves joined Fluminesne, immediately dominating while helping the Tricolor recover from a disastrous fifteenth place finish in 2006 with a fourth place finish. But such success could only partly diminish the lingering feelings from his Japan stint and his inability to break into Brazil’s national side (to date, on international cap).
Some reports have AS Roma making a play for Neves, trying to bring him in before the start of the Italian Serie A. He has been tracked by Arsene Wenger and Arsenal since the middle of last season, with Manchester United and Inter Milan also having interest. At one time, AC Milan were said to have interest. It’s the normal crowd associated with any major name on the international scene with the surprising absence of any La Liga teams, where I had instinctively thought his game most suited. As with most football rumors, it’s best to assume as little as possible, no matter how much fun fantasy football manager can be.
Fluminesne currently sits at the bottom of Brazil’s Serie A, but with Copa finished, they still have plenty of time to make their mark on the league championship. It is a story I plan on following throughout the summer.
Note: I have not been able to find any word on Neves’ “instability” beyond a reference from Tim Vickery in an article from June 30, 2008. That article is linked, below.
Links
Roma Joins the Race for Thiago Neves
Neves nets bitter-sweet finals hattrick
Vickery column: Neves “instability”
Vickery Speaks to World Soccer Daily on Thiago Neves
WFP Related Posts
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.