Oscar in the making - The rise of the new Brazilian trequartista
The new Brazilian Number 10, at the age of 21.
Historically, the Brazil number 10 jersey has been adorned by several true legends of the game such as Pele, Zico, Rivaldo and more recently Ronaldinho. The burden of expectations of this elite jersey is now on the shoulders of a 21-year old humble boy from Americana, Brazil. Inheriting the number 10 jersey for any team is no mean feat, but when you’re 21 years old, and its the Brazilian national team we’re talking about, you know you are a special talent.
Born in 1991 to a lower-middle class family in Americana, Oscar Dos Santos Emboaba Júnior, or simply Oscar , had a very humble upbringing , devoid of all the usual luxuries. Like most other Brazilian kids, he also started with futsal, playing barefoot on the fertile football streets of Brazil. His talent was first noticed when he was only seven years old, and he joined the youth academy of União Barbarense , impressing all the coaches around him. Within six years, he was snapped up by Sao Paulo FC, making his professional debut in 2008 at the age of 17. After a contractual dispute with Sao Paulo, he joined Internacional in 2010, and had an excellent first season, attracting the attention of the entire nation.
In 2011, the Fifa Under-20 World Cup was the golden opportunity which Oscar duly grabbed with both hands, with it well and truly emerging on the global scene. Excelling throughout the tournament, he ended the competition with a sublime hattrick against Portugal in the final, including an extra-time winner, to lead his nation to glory. The world started taking notice of this new talented playmaker in the Selecao ranks, and later that year, Oscar was handed his senior team debut against Argentina as a substitute in a 0-0 draw. He scored his first goal in a thrilling encounter against Argentina which ended in a 3-4 defeat, in June 2012 . Based on his superb run of form, he was called up for the Brazil Olympics Squad, where he was regarded as the ‘brain’ behind all the splendid attacking football displayed by the team. The Olympics ended with Brazil winning the silver medal, and Oscar proving again why he was one of the most sought after players in the world.
All these performances did not go unnoticed . Several clubs were hovering around Oscar to acquire his services. There were rumours that prominent London clubs like Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur were keen to sign Oscar, and the fact that the Olympics were being held in London did not help quell the rumour mills. Finally, on 16th July 2012, Chelsea Football Club agreed a fee rumoured to be between £20-£25 million with Internacional for Oscar, with the player undergoing a medical with the club during the Olympics.
From the beginning of his career with the Blues, as with Brazil, expectations were very high for him, not only because of the extraordinary transfer fee, but also because he had inherited the number 11 shirt, worn last by arguably Chelsea’s greatest ever player, Didier Drogba. Oscar gave glimpses of his undoubted brilliance in his first three matches for Chelsea, but the one match which really brought him into the limelight was his Champions League debut against Juventus at Stamford Bridge. It was his first start for his new club, and Chelsea, freshly crowned European champions, boasting several world class talents, expected something special on the night. In the 33rd minute of a fiercely-contested match, Oscar lashed a shot from just outside the area which took a heavy deflection before hitting the back of the net, to score his first-ever goal for Chelsea and give them a precious lead. Wild celebrations followed, but what was going to happen three minutes later was beyond anyone’s imagination. Ashley Cole passed the ball straight to Oscar, who was surrounded by Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo on either side. The youngster however, with exquisite skill, in a matter of five seconds, provided one of the most unforgettable moments in Stamford Bridge history. With his first touch he beat one of the best defensive midfielders the game has ever seen, and with his second, one of the best goalkeepers in the history of football. Gianluigi Buffon was not the only one stunned, as every single person lucky enough to witness the goal was left speechless at the sheer brilliance of the young trequartista.
That night, on 19th September 2012, a new star was born. Oscar Dos Santos had arrived, and he meant business.
Oscar scoring one of the greatest goals of the modern era.
The entire football universe stood up to take notice of this brilliant starlet. Great things lie ahead for Oscar Dos Santos. At the age of 21, he is a key player for club and country, and will no doubt play a huge part in any success his teams achieve in the future.
Oscar Dos Santos, remember the name.
Quotes About Oscar
“He plays great football, a simple one or two touches, and he’s always available. He has a pretty big price tag on him for a young guy and that’s an extra pressure. So it’s been great for him that we see this performance, and two goals will give him a lot of confidence. People will realise he is great value. Only time will tell if he can be as good as Kaká but he’s on a very good way. He’s settled in quickly and you can see he’s worth the money the club spent.” – Petr Cech
“We have seen him in training smash balls in like that. We knew it was just a matter of time. The English game is not easy. It is very difficult to come in and straightaway adapt to it but we have seen what he can do and hopefully he can keep going. He can only get better.” – John Obi Mikel
“He is the no. 10 for the national team, and that says a lot. He looks at the game differently – like an older, experienced player. He is a simple guy who works hard and I think he has a great future.” – David Luiz
“Oscar wears the no. 10 for Brazil, and we don’t give that shirt out to just anybody. He is able to read the game and solve any problems that arise for his team. He does not rush and dribble with the ball at his feet but he finds good things to do with the ball.” - Mano Menezes, Brazil national team coach
“Oscar turned on a six-pence and put the ball under the bar. I won’t say it’s nice to concede a goal, but it’s still nice to be a part of a great goal like that. Compliments to him.” – Gianluigi Buffon, after conceding Oscar’s second goal.