Why Paulinho and Not Neymar Will Be Brazil’s Key Player at World Cup 2014

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: July 5, 2013

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Neymar may take the headlines and plaudits as Brazil's most recognisable and talented player, but there are many key men in Luiz Felipe Scolari's side whose work go relatively unnoticed.

One of those key players is Corinthians midfielder and soon-to-be Tottenham signing Paulinho.

Paulinho is the lynchpin of Scolari's Selecao, operating in the engine room alongside Luiz Gustavo in their Confederations Cup triumph in June.

With a vast array of attacking talent in Brazil's lineup, there needs to be a connection between the defence and the forwards. Paulinho provides that with aplomb.

With Luiz Gustavo performing the duty of shielding the fragile Selecao defence, Paulinho's job is to pick up the ball and start attacks, controlling the direction of the Brazilian counterattack.

This is very similar to his role at Corinthians and the one he will adopt in Andre Villas-Boas' Tottenham side.



In Brazil, he excelled in a two-man midfield alongside Ralf, making surging runs to great effect and supporting the likes of Alexandre Pato and Paolo Guerrero in attack.

In each of his seasons at Corinthians, Paulinho broke the 10-goal barrier, outlining his potential in attack. He also has a tendency to perform in "clutch" situations, such as his winner against Uruguay in the Confederations Cup semi-final.

Paulinho also repeated the trick against Chelsea in the 2012 Club World Cup final, as his late run allowed him to assist Guerrero in scoring the winner in a 1-0 win.

The Brazilian's greatest value lies in his ability to turn defence into attack, to support the more creative players ahead of him as well as provide a second defensive shield should the situation require it.

For Tottenham, he will fit in perfectly alongside compatriot Sandro and operate behind Belgian attacking midfielder Moussa Dembele.

He will reprise this role in Scolari's tactical setup f...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

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