"Let’s never do the Neymar comparisons" "Yet he wants the Ballon d'Or" - Fans call out Brazil superstar for his performance in USA friendly
Fans on X have blasted Vinicius Junior after his poor outing in Brazil's 1-1 draw against the USA. The Real Madrid superstar missed two big chances in their friendly clash, extending his poor run of form for the national team.
Brazil secured a thrilling 3-2 win against Mexico on June 9 but were unable to make it two wins in a row as they were held to a draw at Orlando's Camping World Stadium on Wednesday, June 12.
Yunus Musah nearly gave the USMNT the lead in the sixth minute, rattling the crossbar from distance. The visitors responded well in the 17th minute when Raphinha assisted Rodrygo to break the deadlock. Former Chelsea star Christian Pulisic netted a brilliant free-kick to level the score nine minutes later.
Despite having a standout season for Real Madrid and putting himself as the frontrunner to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or, Vinicius Junior failed to make an impact on the game. The 23-year-old did create five chances but failed to be clinical, missing two big chances. He also lost five duels and completed zero successful dribbles from three attempts.
One fan asked for others to stop comparing him to Neymar after seeing Vinicius's performance. The former is currently recovering from an ACL injury and will not be featuring in the 2024 Copa America. Neymar has also scored 79 goals in 128 appearances for his country, whereas Vinicius has mustered just three in 30 games.
"Let’s never do the Neymar comparisons plz."
Another fan wrote:
"Yet he wants the Ballon d'Or."
Other reactions can be viewed below:
"Vinicius miss last kick of the game. Nothing worked for him tonight. Looked rushed and nervous," one fan posted.
"Took a while to adapt in Madrid, it's a confidence thing now more than technique though, as if someone cast a spell once he puts Brazil's jersey, but I feel it will change, there's too much pressure and hype around him, that's where we really understand how different Neymar is," one fan defended Vinicius.
"And he’s the best player in the world? Not a chance," another stated.
"That makes it 3 goals in 30 caps for him," one fan wrote.
"Martinelli is better than him. Benzema was right, Vinicius is playing against us," another added.
"There seems to be a difference between how Vini plays for Madrid and how he plays for Brazil. I mean, even put the goals aside for a second. His dribbling doesn’t seem to look as sharp when he plays for Brazil. I’m not sure he completed a single take on tonight. What could be the issue?" one fan questioned.
"I have already commented that with game play and formation like that it will be difficult to score goals and control the midfield," another backed Vinicius.
How did Brazil fare in their 1-1 draw against USA? Looking at the stats ahead of 2024 Copa America
Brazil failed to secure the win in their last friendly prior to the 2024 Copa America following a 1-1 draw against the USA. They have been placed in Group D alongside Colombia, Paraguay, and Costa Rica, and will kick off their campaign against the latter on June 24.
Brazil dominated possession against the USA with 61 percent of the ball, attempting 573 passes with an accuracy of 91 percent. In contrast, the USA had 39 percent possession and attempted 360 passes with an accuracy of 84 percent.
Dorival Junior and Co. were also industrious in attack, landing 25 shots with 12 being on target but were thwarted by Matt Turner who made 11 saves. Meanwhile, the USA had 12 shots, mustering seven on target.