Opinion – Walter Casagrande Jr.: Richarlison has shown he is ready to be a true idol

After Brazil’s 2-0 victory against Serbia, I wanted to reflect on two players who were the opposite of each other. I’m talking about Neymar and Richarlison.

I’ll start with the number 10 shirt. Everyone knows that I don’t agree with anything Neymar says and does off the field, and I’m not crazy about his football either, because I haven’t found it decisive for years.

As a person, he never cared about his country. When important voices were needed most, he and most of the players fell silent. When thousands of people died in Brazil from Covid and the Bolsonaro mismanagement ignored the vaccine and mocked the sick, imitating people with shortness of breath, the “idol” Neymar said nothing.

Quite the contrary, it collaborated and connived to bring a Copa América “of death” to Brazil, which was rejected by Argentina and Colombia because of the pandemic.

Poverty increasing and he boasting. He declared his vote and support for the fascist and coup candidate, and even promised him a goal and a World Cup shirt. Doesn’t respect anyone. He became a celebrity, not a reliable player.

Inside the field, he was never decisive for the Brazilian team. He scored the goal for his first Olympic medal, but Olympic football is another sport.

Played four editions of Copa America: 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2021, and did not win any. So it wasn’t decisive. In 2019, when Brazil was champion, it was not part of the group.

This is your third Cup. In 2014, in Brazil, he was fine, but he suffered a nasty tackle from Colombian Zúñiga, which knocked him out of the World Cup. In 2018, he was pathetic and became a meme with the bandeau.

Even so, in Brazil they do everything possible and impossible to transform him into a hero or a ball magician, when he is neither.

He played in his debut, against Serbia, with the label of being in a great phase, which I never thought, because the French Championship is not a parameter.

The time he was on the field he played very poorly, missing passes and dribbling, and giving some counterattacks.
He suffered many fouls, but mostly for holding the ball too much. He suffered, however, a strong entry that, even without being on purpose, was excessive. He left the field and will be out of the first phase.

The fact is that the team improved a lot without him in the game. It became more, faster, dynamic and objective.

But I hope he manages to recover in time to participate in the World Cup, because I don’t wish any player an injury, especially in a World Cup.

On the other hand, the number 9 arrived quietly, disputed a vacancy until the end, he was not a sure presence among the 26 summoned, but, correctly, Tite put him on the list.

Richarlison has an incredible fighting spirit, and his history already shows that. A humble boy, from a poor family, he was very close to drug trafficking, but he chose to follow his nature and talent for the ball.

Unlike Neymar, he has always positioned himself socially. He bought oxygen cylinders for Manaus when people died from lack of air.

It has an incredible charisma, and the kids soon realized that with the pigeon celebration. I’ve never seen such a strong connection between the player and his celebration.

Richarlison is the peace pigeon of football. He is a fantastic striker and an incredible human being.

The planet’s kids identify with him, but we needed a game of this magnitude, like a World Cup opening with two goals, so that the world would better understand what the term “idol” means.

Idol doesn’t flaunt, cares. Idol doesn’t show what he has, he fights for those who need it. Idol doesn’t make fun of the opponent, he scores decisive goals.

I ask permission to the wonderful Djavan to paraphrase a beautiful song of his, for a good cause:

“The moonlight, starfish
the sun and the sun
Perhaps, one day, the fury of this front
Will come to polish the dream until it generates the sound
Like wanting to ‘Richarlisar’ what’s good”.