Richarlison led them all — including coach Tite — in a version of his trademark “pigeon dance” in celebration of his first-half goal in Brazil‘s 4-1 dismantling of South Korea on Monday. And so far at the World Cup he has been leading opposing defenders in a merry dance as he provides Brazil’s cutting edge.
The Tottenham Hotspur striker has become a national hero, both for his performances on the field and for his charisma and compassion off it. Richarlison backs a number of social causes — anti-racism and poverty, environmental issues and others — with both his mouth and his wallet.
For many Brazilians, Richarlison is proving a popular reference point. He is a pigeon with a message to carry. It is perhaps no surprise that the striker is enjoying the World Cup; the big occasion suits him. He has a goal poacher’s sense of opportunity, which will be needed against Croatia on Friday in a crucial quarterfinal.
Brazil were seeking to rebuild after going out of the last World Cup in the quarterfinals. Richarlison was not initially part of Tite’s post-Russia 2018 plans and was not initially included in the squad ahead of a friendly match against the United States in September 2018. But another player, centre-forward Pedro, was forced out through injury, and Richarlison received a late call-up. He came on for the last few minutes of the 2-0 win at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
A few days later he was given a start against El Salvador outside of Washington, D.C.; Richarlison bashed in two goals and forced his way into contention. The chance had appeared and he had taken it.
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Playing for his country is an obsession and Richarlison says that he trains imagining that he is playing a World Cup game against Argentina — something that may well come true should both advance to the semifinals. Last year he played in both the Copa America and in the Tokyo Olympics, but he paid a price. His fFitness suffered and Brazil were building for Qatar with the idea that he would not be in the starting XI.
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A pair of top-class wingers had appeared in Raphinha and Vinicius Junior. Raphinha secured a €60m move from Leeds United to Barcelona while taking to international football as if he had been there all his life; Vinicius took longer to adapt, but had already become a global star with Real Madrid and his quality was not in doubt. Tite was imagining a team with the two wingers and Neymar in between them as a false No. 9.
But, as the coach is fond of saying, the field speaks — and, with form and fitness recuperated, Richarlison once more made use of the slightest chance to stake his claim.
