Real Madrid: Casemiro hails Vinicius Junior after national team debut
By Ben Sundock
Real Madrid‘s promising forward Vinicius Junior made his debut for the Brazilian national team on Tuesday night against Peru which drew major praise from his club teammate Casemiro.
At just 19-years-old, the prospect of Vinicius becoming a star for both club and country are very real. Despite making just 10 starts in La Liga since coming over from Flamengo, the sky is the limit for this wickedly-talented player.
After making his much anticipated debut for the Selecao in Los Angeles last night in a lackluster 1-0 loss to Peru – Brazil’s first loss since the 2018 World Cup – Vinicius’ Real Madrid teammate Casemiro spoke glowingly of the young player.
“Vinicius has a very good head and, in the past year, he has surprised many people with the football he played,” he told the press following the match. “It is not normal for a 19-year-old boy to do what he did with the Real Madrid shirt. I told him the other day that this year is a year that he has to start thinking big.”
I could not agree with Casemiro more here. Had it not been for that ankle injury suffered against Ajax in the Champions League, Vinicius could have had his true breakout year for the club in his first season.
Vini is on the fringe of manager Zinedine Zidane’s plans at the moment having made appearances in all three of Real Madrid’s La Liga matches thus far and was a key cog in the opening day win over Celta Vigo.
That being said, with Eden Hazard primed to make his competitive debut for Los Blancos this weekend against Levante, Vinicius could see a dip in minutes. Casemiro doesn’t seem to mind this and sees Vinicius Junior making a big name for himself.
"“I repeat: what he did last year was not normal. He surprised everyone and showed that he is ready to be a starter at Real Madrid. When you are a starting Real Madrid player, you have to think big. Think of the Ballon d’Or, FIFA’s World XI. He is a great player and he has already proven it.”"
Brazilian national team manager Tite has been keeping a very close eye on Vinicius and tested out pairing the talented winger with Neymar Jr. last night. Tite was also flirting with the idea of calling Vini up to the national team for the Copa America, however, that injury he suffered in the Champions League left enough doubt for him to miss out.
Next. Predicting every result in a crucial, grueling September. dark
Even though Gareth Bale, Hazard, and Rodrygo Goes inhibit Vinicius’ ability to play with regularity, the raw talent the teenager posses is enough to get him on the field. Even if it is a substitute, Vinicius Junior definitely has a place in this Real Madrid team.