Neymar vs James Rodriguez di Laga Perempat Final
The Ultimate Head-to-Head of the Brazil and Colombia Superstars
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
BAKAL ada ratusan juta mata menjadi saksi di layar televisi layar ketika Brasil menghadapi Kolombia, Jumat, pada laga perempat final Piala Dunia, tapi pertandingan seru ini akan tertumpu pada dua striker yang sama-sama mengenakan kostum nomor 10.
Keduanya berusia 22 tahun, keduanya menjadi pesona Piala Dunia ini dan keduanya memikul beban harapan dari bangsa mereka, seperti dilansir MailOnline.
Jutaan orang di seluruh dunia - dan sangat beruntung 60.000 penonton di Castelao di Fortaleza - akan terpaku pada pertempuran antara Neymar dari Brasil dan James Rodriguez dari Kolombia.
Berikut adalah perbedaan kedua superstar:
Neymar da Silva Santos SMP
Lahir: Mogi das Cruzes, Sao Paulo, Brasil; 5 Februari 1992
Klub: Barcelona
James David Rodriguez Rubio
Lahir: Cucuta, Kolombia; 12 Juli 1991
Klub: Monaco
Kinerja di Piala Dunia
Neymar masuk Piala Dunia dalam posisi yang tidak enak. Brasil dituding sebagai timnas 'bocah' dan bukan favorit juara, Neymar tertekan oleh beban negaranya sebagai tuan rumah Piala Dunia.
Tapi pemain berusia 22 tahun itu, sejauh ini, tetap tenang dan memimpin Brasil ke perempat final sedikit terseok-seok.
Pada laga internasional ke-50 untuk Brasil, ia mencetak dua gol pada malam pembukaan - lari dan menembak dari luar kotak penalti yang masuk sudut gawang dan melalui tendangan penalti - pada laga melawan Kroasia yang berakhir 3-1.
Setelah Brazil bermain seri melawan Meksiko, Neymar mencetak dua gol saat mereka mengalahkan Kamerun 4-1 untuk mencapai putaran kedua.
Melawan Chile di babak-16, Neymar menunjukkan temperamen tenang saat mengeksekusi penalti dalam penentuan melalui adu penalti setelah laga berakhir imbang 1-1.
Rodriguez telah menjadi bintang dari turnamen, tanpa beban sebagai pemain bintang dan tampil gemilang di setiap laga.
Terlalu cepat tudingan Kolombia sebagai tim 'kuda hitam' dan Rodriguez tampil sebagai pengendali, mereka kini tampil prima. Dia telah mencetak lima gol - lebih banyak satu gol dari Neymar - dan berpeluang besar meraih Sepatu Emas (dan Anda akan punya peluang panjang sebelum turnamen).
Terlebih lagi, ia mencetak gol indah di Piala Dunia,, tendangan voli saat menekuk Uruguay di putaran kedua, gerakan indah dari kontrol bola dengan dada, berputar dan tendang.
Pada babak penyisihan grup, ia mencetak satu gol dan satu gol lagi melawan Yunani dan menemukan kesempatan serupa saat melawan Pantai Gading dan Jepang. Menang atas Uruguay dan kini harus melawan sesama negara dari Amerika Latin di delapan besar.
LATAR BELAKANG
Berasal dari daerah Mogi das Cruzes of Sao Paulo, kota terbesar di Brazil, Neymar dibesarkan bermain futsal dan sepak bola jalanan, tempatnya mengasah keterampilan sebelum menjadi bintang.
Dia bergabung dengan Santos sebagai pemain muda pada 2003, usia 11, dan membuat debut tim pertamanya pada usia 17. Segera menjadi jelas bahwa Neymar adalah pencetak gol produktif dan ia membobol gawang 136 kali dalam 225 penampilan untuk Santos.
Puncak prestasinya ketika Santos mengalahkan Penarol Uruguay untuk memenangkan Copa Libertadores 2011, Neymar mencetak gol pertama di leg kedua.
Ini menjadi masalah waktu sebelum tim besar Eropa membeli Neymar dan Santos tidak bisa menolak dan Barcelona layak membayar 48,6 juta poundsterling.
Nilai transfer sebenarnya 71 juta poundsterling setelah pihak berwenang Spanyol menuduh Barcelona melakukan penipuan pajak atas transfer.
Lahir di Cucuta, Rodriguez mengawali kariernya di Kolombia pada klub divisi dua Envigado sebelum teken kontrak untuk Banfield dari Argentina pada 2008.
Dia membantu mereka meraih gelar liga pada 2009 dan mencetak beberapa gol spektakuler yang menarik minat di Eropa. Banfield menolak beberapa tawaran sebelum menyetujuinya hengkang ke Porto seharga 6 juta poundsterling.
Dia segera menjadi kekuatan kreatif yang tangguh dalam tim, mencetak 35 gol dan memberikan kontribusi 21 assist dalam 105 penampilan untuk mereka. Dia membantu Porto meraih tiga gelar Primeira Liga back-to-back antara 2011 dan 2013 dan Liga Europa UEFA dengan kemenangan 1-0 atas Braga pada 2011.
Itu sudah cukup untuk membujuk orang kaya baru Monaco membelinya seharga 40 juta poundsterling 40m di musim panas 2013 - rekor tertinggi untuk pemain Kolombia sebelum dipatahkan oleh rekan senegaranya Radamel Falcao beberapa minggu kemudian.
Rekor Gol - Negara
Neymar memiliki rekor mencetak gol yang sangat mengesankan untuk Brazil - dengan 35 gol dalam 53 laga. Hal ini menempatkannya sebagai atlet keenam dalam daftar sepanjang masa dari pencetak gol Selecao, di belakang Pele (77 gol), Zico (66), Ronaldo (62), Romario (55) dan Bebeto (55).
Rodriguez membuat debut internasional di Kolombia pada 2011 dan sekarang memiliki 10 gol dalam 26 laga. Ini termasuk laga penting di kualifikasi Piala Dunia melawan Peru, Chile dan Ekuador.
KEKAYAAN
Kekayaan Neymar diperkirakan sekitar 66 juta poundsterling. Hal ini meningkat drastis pada tahun lalu menyusul kepindahannya ke Barcelona dan pertunjukan Piala Dunia berarti itu akan melambungkan nilai hartanya.
Setelah pengawasan transfernya dari Santos oleh otoritas pajak Spanyol, terungkap bahwa Neymar dibayar gaji tahunan sebesar 7,2 juta poundsterling dan membayar biaya kontrak 8,2 juta poundsterling ketika ia bergabung.
Barcelona juga memberi kompensasi pada orangtuanya, Neymar Snr dan Nadine, 32 juta poundsterling di atas perjanjian sebelumnya dengan perusahaan mereka, N&N.
Neymar memiliki serangkaian kesepakatan sponsor senilai 16,4 juta poundsterling setahun dengan Nike, Panasonic dan Red Bull antara lain. Dia memiliki sejumlah properti di Sao Paulo dan yacht senilai 4,1 juta poundsterling.
Rodriguez mendapatkan gaji 4,7 juta poundsterling setahun tahun dan membayar biaya kontrak 1 juta poundsterling ketika ia bergabung dengan Monaco dari Porto musim panas lalu.
Portofolionya berkembang pesat dan pemain berusia 22 tahun ini tampil dalam iklan untuk Adidas, serta minuman Kolombia Pony Malta, merek sampo Clear dan minuman Milo dari Nestle.
Kesuksesannya di Piala Dunia pasti akan meningkatkan tawaran kontrak iklan baru.
ISTRI/KEKASIH
Pacar Neymar Bruna Marquezine, seorang aktris dari Rio de Janeiro, hadir tersenyum di tribun di semua pertandingan Brasil.
Mereka sempat berpisah dan rujuk pada Januari dan Neymar mengencani model Gabriella Lenzi untuk waktu yang singkat, sebelum pasangan itu rujuk.
Rodriguez menikah Daniela Ospina, adik kiper Kolombia David Ospina, pada 2011 dan mereka memiliki seorang putri bernama Salome, lahir pada Mei tahun lalu.
Prestasi
Neymar
Di Santos: Campeonato Paulista 2010, 2011, 2012; Copa do Brasil 2010; Copa Libertadores 2011; Recopa Sudamericana 2012
Di Barcelona: Supercopa de Espana 2013
Dengan Brasil: Piala Konfederasi FIFA 2013; Medali perak Olimpiade 2012; Amerika Selatan Youth Championship 2011
James Rodriguez
Pada Banfield: Judul Argentina Apertura 2009
Di Porto: Primeira Liga 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13; Taca de Portugal 2011; Supertaca 2010, 2011, 2012; UEFA Europa League 2011
Dengan Kolombia: Toulon Tournament 2011
THERE will be hundreds of millions of pounds worth of talent on display when Brazil take on Colombia in Friday's World Cup quarter-final, but the contest will boil down to a battle between the No 10s.
Both are 22 years of age, both have illuminated this World Cup and both are shouldering the burden of their nation's expectation.
Millions around the world - and an incredibly lucky 60,000 at the Castelao in Fortaleza - will be glued to the battle between Neymar of Brazil and James Rodriguez of Colombia.
Here's how the two superstars match up.
BASICS
Neymar da Silva Santos Junior
Born: Mogi das Cruzes, Sao Paulo, Brazil; February 5, 1992
Club: Barcelona
James David Rodriguez Rubio
Born: Cucuta, Colombia; July 12, 1991
Club: Monaco
WORLD CUP PERFORMANCES
Neymar entered the World Cup in an unenviable position. His nation's poster boy for a tournament in which a far-from-vintage Brazil team are expected to triumph, Neymar could have crumbled under the colossal weight of expectation.
But the 22-year-old has, so far, kept his composure and guided Brazil into the quarter-finals with an occasional sprinkling of stardust.
On the occasion of his 50th cap for Brazil, he scored twice on opening night - a run and shot from outside the box that squeezed into the far corner and a penalty - as Croatia were beaten 3-1.
After Brazil drew a blank against Mexico, Neymar scored twice as they thrashed Cameroon 4-1 to reach the second round.
Against Chile in the last-16, Neymar demonstrated an ice-cold temperament to convert the winning penalty in a tense shoot-out following a 1-1 draw.
Rodriguez has been the revelation of the tournament, without question its best player and someone who seems to be improving with every game.
Many were quick to label Colombia as 'dark horses' for the title and with Rodriguez taking up the reins, they've been at full gallop. He has scored five times - one more than Neymar - and is the front runner for the Golden Boot (and you would have got long odds on that before the tournament).
What's more, he scored the most beautiful goal of the tournament, that volley against Uruguay in the last round that was one elegant, fluid movement of chest control, spin and strike.
In the group stage, he scored one and created one against Greece and found the target too against the Ivory Coast and Japan. A tap-in completed the win over Uruguay and set up another all-South American affair in the last eight.
BACKGROUND
Hailing from the Mogi das Cruzes area of Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city, Neymar grew up playing futsal and street football, honing the skills that would make him a star.
He joined Santos as a youth team player in 2003, aged 11, and made his first team debut at the age of 17. It soon became apparent that Neymar was a prolific scorer and he found the net 136 times in 225 appearances for Santos.
The highlight of his time there came when Santos beat Uruguayan side Penarol to win the 2011 Copa Libertadores, Neymar scoring the first goal in the second leg.
It became a matter of time before a major European team made an offer Neymar and Santos couldn't refuse and Barcelona duly paid £48.6m for him.
That fee was revealed to be closer to £71m after the Spanish authorities accused Barcelona of tax fraud over the transfer.
Born in Cucuta, Rodriguez started out at Colombian second division side Envigado before being signed by Argentine team Banfield in 2008.
He helped them to the league title in 2009 and scored some spectacular goals that attracted interest in Europe. Banfield turned down a few offers before moving him on to Porto for £6m.
He soon became a formidable creative force in the team, scoring 35 goals and contributing 21 assists in his 105 appearances for them. He helped them to three back-to-back Primeira Liga titles between 2011 and 2013 and the UEFA Europa League with a 1-0 win over Braga in 2011.
It was enough to persuade nouveau riche Monaco to buy him for just shy of £40m in the summer of 2013 - a club record signing until his compatriot Radamel Falcao came through the door a few weeks later.
GOALSCORING RECORD - COUNTRY
Neymar has a very impressive scoring record for Brazil - with 35 goals in 53 appearances. This puts his sixth in the all-time list of Selecao scorers, behind Pele (77 goals), Zico (66), Ronaldo (62), Romario (55) and Bebeto (55).
Rodriguez made his Colombia debut in 2011 and now has 10 goals in 26 appearances. This included important strikes in World Cup qualification against Peru, Chile and Ecuador.
WEALTH
Neymar has an estimated wealth of around £66m. This has increased exponentially in the last year following his move to Barcelona and his World Cup performances mean it will inevitable go up further.
Following the scrutiny of his transfer from Santos by the Spanish tax authorities, it was revealed that Neymar is paid an annual salary of £7.2m and was paid an £8.2m signing-on fee when he joined.
Barcelona also compensated his parents, Neymar Snr and Nadine, to the tune of £32m over a previous agreement with their company, N&N.
Neymar has a string of sponsorship deal worth £16.4m a year with Nike, Panasonic and Red Bull among others. He owns a number of properties in Sao Paulo and a yacht worth £4.1m.
Rodriguez earns a salary of £4.7m a year and was paid a signing-on fee of £1m when he joined Monaco from Porto last summer.
His portfolio of endorsements is rapidly expanding and the 22-year-old has featured in adverts for Adidas, as well as Colombian beverage Pony Malta, shampoo brand Clear and Nestle drink Milo.
His success at the World Cup is sure to boost his appeal further.
WAGS
Neymar's girlfriend Bruna Marquezine, an actress from Rio de Janeiro, has been a smiling presence in the stands at all of Brazil's matches.
They had split up back in January and Neymar stepped out with model Gabriella Lenzi for short time, before the couple reunited.
Rodriguez married Daniela Ospina, the sister of Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina, in 2011 and they have a daughter called Salome, born in May last year.
HONOURS
Neymar
At Santos: Campeonato Paulista 2010, 2011, 2012; Copa do Brasil 2010; Copa Libertadores 2011; Recopa Sudamericana 2012
At Barcelona: Supercopa de Espana 2013
With Brazil: FIFA Confederations Cup 2013; Olympic silver medal 2012; South American Youth Championship 2011
James Rodriguez
At Banfield: Argentine Apertura title 2009
At Porto: Primeira Liga 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13; Taca de Portugal 2011; Supertaca 2010, 2011, 2012; UEFA Europa League 2011
With Colombia: Toulon Tournament 2011
