PANJIM: The failure of Vinicius Junior joining the Brazil squad turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the Brazil team as they unearthed the perfect pairing of the deadly duo — Lincoln and Paulinho.
Three games down, both Lincoln and Paulinho has been delivering the goods for Carlos Amadeu’s boys in the FIFA U-17 World Cup. They simply just can’t stop scoring, just when it mattered the most, as they share five goals between them of the total six scored in their Group phase.
Starting the game upfront, Lincoln has managed to net three, with his last coming against Niger, which was assisted by team’s talisman Paulinho. Their on field chemistry and understanding has been a treat to the eye.
“We have strong strikers and we have been working together for two years, and that makes the difference. We know each other and we know each others’ play, which makes it very strong,” said Lincoln.
Despite leading Brazil’s attack and with two goals in the tournament, Paulinho revealed that there is long way for the glory.
“I’m trying to work hard every day. I think that’s how I can reach the high level one day. But as of now, my focus is in this tournament (World Cup). If we win here, I think I’ll be closer to my dream which is to be a high level player,” said Paulinho.
Paulinho’s goal scoring instinct makes him one of the future prospects for Brazil, which also earned him comparison to Zico.
“Zico is one of the greatest players. He has a sound history and everyone knows him. The whole world knows him. I can’t be compared to him because he is unique, but yes I’m looking forward to be like him one day,” said Paulinho.
Perhaps donning the national colours has been a great moment for the striker.
“Yeah! It’s great and it makes me happy to be a player from the National squad. When I wear the Brazil jersey, it’s total different for me. So I’m really proud. Yeah, there is a bit of pressure,” expressed Paulinho.
His compatriot Lincoln, who has also earned his recognition in the tournament with some brilliant strikes and assists, also managed to catch the eyes of the fans.
“I’m really happy to hear that you guys like the way I play and also the things are going well. But it’s of course about the whole team. We have more objectives here. We want to make it to very end to the tournament,” Lincoln said.
Brazil has enjoyed over 50 per cent possession in the matches against Spain, North Korea and Niger but Paulinho feels that it’s their team effort that makes them strong.
“Well the secret we managed to score five goals between us in three games is the team. The defenders are the first strikers and we are the first defenders. So that balances the Brazil national team and that’s our secret,” explained Lincoln.
Paulinho praised his teammate Lincoln as a strong striker and said, “Actually we had an excellent partnership. We know each other very well. We know the movements we need to make on the pitch. That is why it works so well.”
