He is the shortest player in the Brazilian Under-17 World Cup squad but also the most creative one among them. At 5ft 4in, with a gentle stubble and crew cut hair, Alan de Souza Guimares is the orchestrate of the Samba beat that has ebbed and flowed majestically in this World Cup.
Alan finds the narrowest of gaps on the field and pierces it with measured crosses which invariably reaches where it is intended with laser guided accuracy. The receptor only has to do minimal work for getting the optimum result off those passes. On the field Alan’s movements are balletic and he subtly modulates the tempo in the midfield with his clever distribution. Be it when Brazil is in the offensive or defensive mode, Alan holds the strings.
Wearing the No 10 jersey for the world’s most popular team can be an added pressure but it sits lightly on Alan. “The pressure that comes by wearing the yellow jersey is a good one. We Brazilians are proud to wear it. It is a great feeling to wear the No 10 Brazil shirt and I am totally relaxed about it,’’ he said.
For him his lack of height is his biggest advantage. “In modern football there is room for everyone, tall, medium sized and shot players. My lack of height gives me greater speed and control. The style Brazil plays also suits short players like me. Look at Messi, Romario and Iniesta they are not tall but are very successful at top level,’’ he said.
Alan came to the World Cup with a big reputation after having played a pivotal role in Selecao’s win in the South American Championship early this year. A hat-trick against Chile was followed by six assists the most by any player in the tournament which earned him the mantle as the team’s best passer.
At this World Cup, a goal has eluded Alan but he takes great pride in his assists though many of them have gone waste in this tournament. “An assist is as good as a goal I take great pleasure in helping my team-mates to score and it makes me happy,’’ he said. Coach Carlos Amadeu is also impressed with Alan’s maturity and selflessness.
The player was in the radar of Real Madrid but backed out after his club SE Palmeiras put a buyout clause of an insane amount like 50 million dollars. One day, Alan hopes to follow his idol Iniesta’s footsteps and play for Barcelona. But at present the Sao Paulo born player is more focussed on the job in hand that is to guide Brazil past Germany in the quarterfinals of the Under-17 World Cup.
