Whisper it, but Richarlison of Tottenham Hotspur could be a genuine star of this World Cup.
The £60 million summer signing for Spurs has already lit up Qatar following two goals in Brazil’s opening game.
Richarlison inspired the Selecao to victory over Serbia a little earlier this week and his second – a scissor kick – was a thing of real beauty.
The former Everton attacker hasn’t developed into a massive player for Tottenham just yet, although it’s been a stop-start first six months in North London due to injury.
That being said, scoring a goal like that, on a stage like this, illustrates the 25-year-old’s star power and confidence.
And Alisson, a £66 million signing by Liverpool four years ago [BBC Sport], has lavished praise on his ‘amazing’ international teammate.
He told The Mirror: “He’s an amazing player, really important for us. Both attacking-wise and defensively, he helps a lot and puts so much in on the pitch for the good of the team. I’m just really happy and so proud for him, scoring two – and one of them was such a fantastic goal. It was amazing.”
The Lilywhites forward is back in action for Brazil on Monday, when Tite’s side take on Switzerland.
Another three points will be expected, but if we’ve learned anything from the World Cup so far it’s that victory is simply never guaranteed, regardless how much one team should beat the other.
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