On the latest player value list updated by the "Transfer Market" website, Vinicius, who soared by 50 million euros in 2021, is now in third place with 100 million euros (only behind Mbappe with 160 million and Holland with 150 million). Transforming from "Cubs" to "Bear Emperor", the Brazilian winger is expected to become a future Golden Globe contender.
Real Madrid president Florentino has had two major hobbies throughout his life: collecting Champions League trophies and superstars. The relationship between the two is often mutually reinforcing. Real Madrid can attract "Mr. Ballon d'Or" with higher honors and salaries, and can also show the world the future world best on the Champions League stage. But there are only two Real Madrid players on the list for the 2021 Ballon d'Or. The ageless Modric barely made the list without getting a vote, while Benzema's high position in 4th place is considered to be the result of the club's sparing efforts to promote it.
However, the real dazzling stars in this Real Madrid squad at the moment are not the two post-80s veterans, but the 21-year-old Vinicius. What you see in him is not only a Brazilian who is happy because of football, but also the soul of samba who brings joy and vitality to the future of football.
Accumulation, metamorphosis
Now after every game at Real Madrid, the outside world is marveling at Vinicius' progress. This visible improvement is not a "one-goal fame" type, which suddenly appears in a strong dialogue that is highly anticipated, but the experience, technology and self-confidence that are truly accumulated in every minute of the game. Therefore, the use of the word "awakening" to describe the performance of "Winnie the Pooh" in the past 4 months is a bit pale and superficial.
Take Real Madrid's 2-1 home win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, for example. The match was fierce, with the miners equalizing and forcing Courtois to fly to the rescue several times. Vinicius did not score on the spot, but opened with a keen sense of the opponent's loopholes, sprinting to break the ball to assist Benzema. At the height of the second half, he and Casemiro once collided with a work of art heels against the wall to assist Benzema to score the winning goal. These few passes completely deceived the dense defenders in the penalty area, but their own small team understood.
Last season's Real Madrid were plagued by persistent player injuries, and Zidane struggled to come up with a full squad to cope with the intensive schedule. In this case, Benzema's responsibility is increasingly great, and it can be said that the whole tactic is revolving around him. Benzema tends to be the initiator of the attack, having to score the ball on the edge of the penalty area, insert himself and then receive the shot. At the end of the season, his personal goals have repeatedly reached new highs, but Real Madrid have difficulty guaranteeing the upper limit in the strong dialogue. Vinicius played an even more important role throughout the year, especially excelling at being a game-breaker in a passive situation and using unparalleled explosive power. In the 3-1 match against Liverpool, he won two dollars alone, and the scenery was unlimited. The position and role originally belonged to Hazard. But the Belgian's legs are too indisputable, hovering between injury, recovery and recovery all year round, and they simply can't come up with the same level as they were at Chelsea. However, the outside world's evaluation of Vinicius has only slightly improved, believing that he is only a "tool man" who completes a specific task in a specific situation.
The tasks Zidane gave to Winnie were less complicated, but they were often the key to victory or defeat. Against more aggressive opponents, Real Madrid retreated in its entirety, focusing on midfield steals, and then waiting for the opportunity to deliver the ball to Vinicius on the left, expecting him to be able to do the rest of the work independently. The move worked wonders for Liverpool, but it was out of the way for Atalanta. Pooh's entire catch, breakthrough and passing were perfect, and it was the right choice to pick a shot against the goalkeeper, but the accuracy of the shot was too poor. He has completed the "Messi-style" dribbling performance more than once in the past few years, but the harvest is very pitiful. "This kid is good, he just can't shoot" has become the consensus of the media. Vinicius sat back and laughed after missing the opportunity, and was repeatedly played by unscrupulous fans. However, Rodrigo, who played football with a taut face, once had a higher fit with the overall tactics, so that the reporters with the team felt that "the east side is not bright and the west side is bright", and the two little Brazilians can play one.
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After trauma
Vinicius experienced a more difficult situation. In the March 2019 match against Ajax, he was seriously injured in the first half and fell to the ground and was replaced, and was diagnosed with a torn lateral ligament of the knee after the game. However, few people paid attention to his injuries at the time. Real Madrid lost 4-1 on the spot, Solari was soon out of class, and Zidane returned to rectify the "mess" he left behind. Before Christmas 2020, Vinicius talked about the incident in a TV interview, grinning one second, and suddenly crying the next: "It's a little uncomfortable to come home on crutches." I can't play, I can't help, and I don't know when I'll recover. The team changed coaches and everything had to start from scratch... Cut it, I can't say it anymore..." Nearly 2 years later, that memory still haunts Vinnie, who is always smiling. Of course, it is not only physical trauma, but also mental stress. Think about it, another Brazilian named "genius", whose career started like a rocket, came to the best club in Europe with a high transfer fee, and tried to integrate into the surrounding environment, but the laughter was poured into the ears.
Compared with the collective dormitories in the slums of the suburbs of Rio, living with your family in a villa in a wealthy area on the outskirts of Madrid, the word "suffering" cannot be said. Just like before Casemiro was signed by Real Madrid, the biggest wish was to install air conditioning in the home and make summer no longer difficult. The original dream of every Brazilian football teenager is always rustic. Vinicius was born in the city of San Gonzalo in the state of Rio, just across the bay from Rio de Janeiro, connected by a bridge. When he first entered the flamenco academy, he was thrown to the full-back position by the coach. However, no matter where he plays football, this kid who idols Robinho is always recklessly dribbling and showing off his skills. In the first team, his forward partner is Peruvian star Paulo Guerrero, who is nearly 20 years older. It was the first "mentor" Vinnie met in his football career.
Once a young Brazilian sets foot on the court of Europe's giants, from the way he plays football to eating and socializing, his whole life will be completely changed. If there is no necessary guidance, like the talented players known to everyone, they will squander their talents while indulging in sound and color dogs and horses, and withdraw from this circle of inner-rolled to the extreme early. Vinicius showed great confidence in his talent on the field, but he knew in his heart that his life leap was inevitably too smooth. In May 2017, when he was under the age of 17, he made his debut in the flamenco first team, and 14 months later he stepped on the lawn of the Bernabeu to shake hands with Florentino, the most prestigious president of the world of football. In the season against Valladolid, he scored his debut goal in La Liga. It's just that the ball was blocked by the opposing defender and deflected a lot before he was lucky enough to enter the net. The game commentator teased: "If the foot shot did not touch anyone, it was probably directly out of the sideline." ”
In September 2019, Vinicius scored a stunning long-range shot against Osasuna. He knelt down on the spot and began to cry in spite of it. After recovering from the serious injury, Pooh finally released the pressure accumulated over half a year. However, the pressure from all sides has not subsided. Even a year later, an embarrassing "whispering incident" was exposed. During the break between the Champions League match against Borussia Monchengladbach, the media captured Benzema warning Felan Mendy in French that don't pass the ball to him (Winnie), he's too, it's on the opponent's side. For about four months since then, Vinicius has largely lost his starting chances. It's hard not to think that if Benzema joins forces with other veterans to "bully" new people, and Zidane is so conservative in employing people, how should Vinicius treat himself?
Within a few months, however, all sorts of speculation and skepticism vanished. Benzema and Vinicius have become the most tacit offensive partners in all of La Liga and even in all of Europe, so that it is difficult to use the "trident" to describe the Real Madrid front, because in this "dual core" system, whether it is Rodrigo or Asensio on the right, even if it plays well, it is a supporting role. In the first half, Benzema scored 20 goals on both sides, promising to continue to set a new personal record. Vinicius' 12 goals in four months is close to the sum of the previous three years (15), while the 10 assists also exceeded last season's total. Why has Benzema's attitude toward the little brother changed so much? Or is everything just a deliberate attempt by the media to stir up trouble? Vinicius gave his own answer: "On the pitch, Benzema is my best friend. We are close enough to always cooperate. The best friends on the sidelines were Militang and Rodrigo, both of whom were Brazilians. Marcelo always made me happy and felt fantastic. ”
Personal trainer and famous teacher
Vinicius' progress this season has been like breaking through the second vein of the Governor, which is attributed to Ancelotti's good use. Shortly after the start of the season, Pooh revealed in an interview: "Ancelotti trusted me more. Sometimes when I make a mistake, the coach will say, 'I'll help you correct it!' This allowed me to continue to concentrate on playing football. "Ancelotti did give him a more comfortable position, more full ball possession, but more importantly it was proper positioning and guidance. At the press conference, he repeatedly warned the media not to overkill or blame the young players: "Vinicius is well aware of his place in the team. He was humble and never considered himself a star. He knows very well that his teammates around him have strong personalities and distinctive characteristics. ”
Since Ancelotti was able to take Vinicius to such a level, must zidane have inhibited the development of genius in the previous years? For a time, the "Zidane Misguided Theory" became the subject of critics. However, the truth is that Zidane also trusts Vinicius, and even drives a one-on-one "personal trainer" after training to help Vinicius improve his shooting skills. That's arguably the most valuable "personal training" experience in the world. In an official UEFA interview, Vinicius revealed: "Zidane always tries to make us feel good, both on and off the field. He was concerned about my family's situation and encouraged and urged me to complete tactical improvements. So I can now play with a very calm mind and a very natural play. ”
The "epiphany" of Zen practitioners is based on the accumulation of meditation and debate, and the "epiphany" of Vinicius is based on the constant encouragement and guidance of friends, famous teachers and family members. Most importantly, his genius is not only a bicycle showmanship like his childhood idol Robinho, but also a sober mind to continuously learn and improve. The Vinicius family's menu may always have Brazilians' favorite roast beef and bean rice, but he himself asked the club's nutritionist to develop a menu from the beginning, using Ronaldo as an example to discipline his off-site life, and after several years of grinding, he has achieved today's achievements. Looking at the way Vinicius kissed the Real Madrid insignia after scoring the goal, people can't help but wonder: such a player, in the future to compete for the Ballon d'Or, do clubs need to build momentum?
This article is written by Wu Yifan
This article was originally published in the 830th issue of Football Weekly
Released: 16.12.2021
Images are from the web