The first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final between Barcelona and Real Madrid was marked in red on Vinicius' agenda as his first 'Clasico' as 'merengue'. And it was also the first important match of the young Brazilian sensation since its consolidation in the ownership with Santiago Solari.
Already during this beginning of 2019 Vinicius has made merits to stay in the first team by giving a fresh air of attitude and desire to the insipid attack of Real Madrid. That, coupled with his undeniable talent, placed him as one of the offensive references of the team and at the maximum Madrid assistants so far this year. What the Brazilian has is that every time he receives the ball he generates expectation, because you know he will do something different, he will try something.
Vinicius arrived at Camp Nou with the clear intention of showing himself, of showing that Real Madrid's shirt does not fit. However, it seems that the desire and the impetus won the Brazilian's reason in his first 'Clasico'. Maybe it was the lack of experience, maybe it was knowing that Tite's assistant was present at Camp Nou only and exclusively to see his performance, I do not know.
The truth is that Vinicius was more to less in the game and left us with the feeling that if Real Madrid could not sentence the game in the first time was for him. I'm not implying that I played badly, much less; Vinicius was just as irreverent, incisive and unbalancing as usual. It does not matter to him that a defender of the Alavés marks it or that it is being marked by a certain Gerard Piqué, he will always try the dribble and will almost always achieve it. In fact, the Real Madrid goal comes from an action of a Vinicius pass from the side.
But leaving that aside, we found bad decisions in the transfer of the ball that resulted in loss of possession, bad decisions facing the goal, having teammates in better position and wasting clear chances of goal, as well as several shots on goal that no doubt A 10 year old kid would do it better. If I were Solari at the first opportunity I had, I would call the band and hit the Brazilian with a monumental scolding.
He would never criticize his spirit or attitude, because in large part that is what has made him stand out from the apathy and insipiency of many of his colleagues. But Vinicius must also be aware of his role in the team and his individual abilities; because just as it has a devilish dribble, it has a terrible definition. I thought that Morata was bad kicking the bow until I saw Vinicius. I find it ridiculous that a professional player, forward, one of the greatest promises in world football debuts in the first division without knowing how to finish off decently. If football was a sport played without a goal, I have no doubt that Vinicius would be the best player in the world.
With this I do not want to criticize the Brazilian or give land to what he has achieved in Madrid in such a short time, but he must calm down and understand that he should not assume a role of football leader of the team that does not belong to him and that he simply can not carry, at least for the moment. And in Real Madrid they must help him grow as a footballer because we blame his failures and mistakes on his youth, but in truth they are things that a professional player in which he is called to be among the best in the world should already have dominated. When we see that Mbappé when he was 18 years old, he destroyed Guardiola's City or the things his compatriot Rodrygo does with less age, we realize that it is not a problem of age or inexperience, but of the player. If he does not correct his deficiencies he will reach 24 years being a mediocre player, being a Sterling anyone who has to be surrounded by a super team to cover his immense deficiencies.
I have no doubt that Vinicius will be a good player, that he will be important in Real Madrid's aspirations for the rest of the season and that in all likelihood he will be one of the 23 chosen by Tite for the upcoming Copa América; but I am also convinced that he will not be close to the best player in the world. But at the moment you have to take things slowly, everything comes out naturally and Vinicius captures that he is there to help the team and to do two dribbles in the band and then throw the center to the penalty spot where there is no player 'merengue' not it's exactly useful to be told; get a player off and then not knowing what to do with the ball is not to be a crack. He has to finish better, he has to move better, he has to decide better. Of course, you do not have to get to Lopetegui's end, which was only a stopper for the Brazilian's rapid progression, but neither did it inflate him and make him look like the star of the team, because in the end that will also end up being a problem.
So far the first game of this important month has passed, which will decide if Real Madrid can save something in a season in which it seemed all lost, and a good part of those aspirations of the team go through Vinicius. Undoubtedly, he will be gaining the experience and wisdom of football that he needs in these momentous games that the white club will face, but the demonstration that he is up to the task and his future place in this new Real Madrid that will depend solely and exclusively on what Do or stop doing in the field.
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