Barcelona forward Neymar scored four goals this year for the Brazilian national team, but he’s behind Philippe Coutinho and Gabriel Jesus.
The arrival of Tite coincided with the end of Neymar’s goal-drought for the Seleção, but the four goals scored were not enough to make him the country’s top scorer of this calendar year. Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho and Manchester City bound Gabriel Jesus, who only made his debut in September, scored five times each. And not seeing Neymar as the team’s top scorer of a year is new. Neymar, who made his debut in 2010, has been the top scorer of Brazil since 2011. He scored seven goals in 2011, nine in 2012, ten in 2013, 15 in 2014 and four last year. The series interrupted in 2016 has to do with the bad phase of the striker under Dunga. He was often suspended for games after collecting cards, and also missed the Copa América Centenário, in the United States. With that, he made just six appearances for the senior side in 2016. Neymar didn’t score in the 2-2 draw with Uruguay in March, but found the net in each of the following matches: 3-0 against Ecuador, 2-1 against Colombia, 5-0 against Bolivia and 3-0 against Argentina. In the final game of 2016, a 2-0 win over Peru on Tuesday, he couldn’t score.
Brazil’s top scorers since 2011:
Barcelona forward Neymar scored four goals this year for the Brazilian national team, but he’s behind Philippe Coutinho and Gabriel Jesus.
The arrival of Tite coincided with the end of Neymar’s goal-drought for the Seleção, but the four goals scored were not enough to make him the country’s top scorer of this calendar year. Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho and Manchester City bound Gabriel Jesus, who only made his debut in September, scored five times each. And not seeing Neymar as the team’s top scorer of a year is new. Neymar, who made his debut in 2010, has been the top scorer of Brazil since 2011. He scored seven goals in 2011, nine in 2012, ten in 2013, 15 in 2014 and four last year. The series interrupted in 2016 has to do with the bad phase of the striker under Dunga. He was often suspended for games after collecting cards, and also missed the Copa América Centenário, in the United States. With that, he made just six appearances for the senior side in 2016. Neymar didn’t score in the 2-2 draw with Uruguay in March, but found the net in each of the following matches: 3-0 against Ecuador, 2-1 against Colombia, 5-0 against Bolivia and 3-0 against Argentina. In the final game of 2016, a 2-0 win over Peru on Tuesday, he couldn’t score.
Brazil’s top scorers since 2011:
2016: Coutinho and Gabriel Jesus – 5 goals
2015: Neymar – 4 goals
2014: Neymar – 15 goals
2013: Neymar – 10 goals
2012: Neymar – 9 goals
2011: Neymar – 7 goals
