Lucas Moura shows divine faith in himself as PSG celebrate league triumph

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  • No divine intervention: The deeply religious Lucas Moura was heartbroken at not making the Brazil squad.

    PSG winger Lucas Moura propelled his side to victory over Lille OSC on Saturday days after his World Cup dreams with the Brazilian national team were shattered.

    The 21-year-old winger, who has earned over thirty caps for his country since 2011, was left devastated mid-week as the Brazil coach unveiled the 23 players tasked with winning their country a historic sixth World Cup trophy on home soil this summer.

    Locking himself in his hotel room on the day PSG faced Rennes and officially celebrated a second consecutive league title, he answered tearfully to a journalist asking him about his non-selection after the game.

    Earlier in the afternoon, he had shared quotes from the Bible on social media, trying to show acceptance in the wake of the biggest setback of his career to date.

    The winger who arrived in France with a €40 million price tag experienced a bumpy spell at PSG but still managed to reach nearl double figures in terms of assists despite being reduced to a substitute role by Laurent Blanc.

    Glimpses of his talent have shone through his every appearance, notably in the home game against arch-rivals Olympique de Marseille where he took the ball in his own half and went past five players before seeing his effort cleared off the line. 

    His extraordinary talent on the pitch was paired with a very ordinary and humble attitude. What endeared him to many fans is that contrary to other promising Brazilian talents, he is never one to complain over refereeing decisions, over-act or act brutally against opponents.

    Groomed to be Brazil's starter on the right wing slot since the days of Mano Menezes in 2011, Moura had moved to Europe in 2013 to ensure a World Cup spot come 2014. Instead the opposite occurred as his move to PSG eroded his reputation in Scolari's eyes while other domestic players, like Atletico Mineiro's Jô, received an invitation.

    The very definition of a raw diamond, he failed to get a spot in PSG's starting eleven this season as Blanc sought to accomodate Edinson Cavani to the right wing, in support of Ibrahimovic in the centre.

    Moura seemed to suffer less from his lack of playing time than from the lack of confidence in his abilities when fielded. Blanc generally giving the edge to tactical discipline over technical brilliance when addressing his player.

    His cause was not helped by the lack of stability behind him in the area of the pitch regarded as PSG's weak link : the right-back position.

    Despite having no regular partner behind him and a reduced playing time, Moura collected nine assists this season on top of four league goals.

    On Saturday, for the first time this season, he had full creative freedom to roam across the attack, switch from left to right and accelerate through the centre, perfectly supported by makeshift right-back Marquinhos, another major omission from Scolari's list.

    Late in the first half, his shot was followed up by Marquinhos to open the scoring against France's best defence, before he scored the second goal himself early in the second half.

    His team-mates had clearly been playing for him to score, all aware of his state of mind in the past few days. Running to the corner of the pitch after his low shot eluded Enyeama, he pointed to the sky and signalled his religious devotion at this time of self-doubt.

    It is not difficult to imagine the painful hours experienced by a young man suddenly deprived of his childhood dream, to play a World Cup with his friends on home soil.

    He confirmed on Friday he had been hopeful to receive a call-up from Scolari "right up until the last minute", despite being omitted from his national team's friendly against South Africa earlier in the year.

    He who had grown up alongside Oscar at Sao Paulo FC, and won the Player of the Tournament award ahead of Neymar at the U20 Copa America in 2011, would now be looking from the outside as his team-mates and friends attempt to win a historic World Cup trophy in their home country.

    A passionate fan of Brazilian football history, leading tributes to Djalma Santos when the legendary right-back passed away last year aged 84, he had spent his time in Europe, away from home, hopeful that his own playing history would contain references to a successful participation in Brazil's home World Cup.

    As Scolari swept that dream aside on Wednesday, the PSG winger resorted to religious faith and demonstrated he had it within himself to make his way to the pantheon of Brazilian football by the end of his career.

    Elsewhere in Ligue 1…

    – Zlatan Ibrahimovic deservedly collected the Player of the Year award on Sunday given out by UNFP (footballers association) while his younger team-mate Marco Verratti, filmed mocking his team-mate as he tried to deliver his speech in French, earned the Young Player of the Year accolade ahead of much-favoured AS Monaco and Colombia playmaker James Rodriguez.

    – Players are not the only ones grabbing the headlines in France as numerous coaching talks were held across the country last week, Zinedine Zidane rumoured to take over at Bordeaux while Jorge Jesus and Antonio Conte were linked to the AS Monaco job just days after Marcelo Bielsea confirmed his signature with Olympique de Marseille.

    – The relegation battle is fiery in Ligue 1 as five teams are still fighting it out to avoid relegation. Only three points separate Rennes, 13th (43 points) with Sochaux, currently 18th (40 points).

    – Though eyes will be firmly set on the bottom of the table next week, there is also a lot at stake at the top of it with third-ranked Lille just two points ahead of AS Saint Etienne, who are unbeaten in their last eight league games. The two teams will be fighting it out respectively against Lorient and Ajaccio to determine which side will take part in the Champions League knock-out phase next summer.

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