The picture above is of Lucas Moura and Neymar. Both Brazilian’s were much heralded in their homeland as future superstars when they first broke onto the scene.

While Neymar instantly lived up to the hype, Moura had to be more patient.

The two international forwards also represent what’s wrong at PSG and what’s right at Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

Before moving to London, it was with the Ligue 1 giants that Lucas first cut his teeth in European football.

He joined just as the Qatari’s started to splash the cash and show their financial muscle in the transfer market. It was a smart signing as the player was a highly regarded young South American talent.

Unfortunately for Moura the Les Parisiens kept on bringing in superstar signings like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Beckham, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Edinson Cavani and eventually Neymar himself!

Lucas Moura would often get lost in the mix and couldn’t instantly show off his talents. Thus his development was often stifled.

PSG often look for the quick fix to try and get them the glory that they really crave… The Champions League title!

Skip forward to January 2018. Tottenham sign Moura for a fee of around £25m and to date that’s still their last time they dipped into the transfer market.

At Spurs, Moura hit the ground running and looked a terrific buy.

Yes he’s had a few dips in form but the attacker has always come back and given more to his team’s cause. That’s mainly down to the patience shown in him from Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino.

If Lucas needed a rest, Poch would drop him but the player was never frozen out. He worked hard and would get another chance. There’s no moaning or huffs from the Brazilian, he knows that the team comes first.

This term has seen Moura come inside and play more through the middle alongside or in and around main striker Harry Kane.

Lucas has a willingness to run-in behind the defence, the ability to shift out to the wing and the skill to beat markers.

He also gives The Lilywhites a new scoring source. He has made thirty-one Premier League appearances this term and has scored ten times, including a hat-trick against Manchester United.

In total, Moura has scored sixteen times in fifty-eight games this season. He’s getting more game time and he’s flourishing.

Last night Tottenham were down and out in the Champions League. They were three goals down in the tie against Ajax, were in Amsterdam and had just forty-five minutes left to save themselves from their endgame.

Main goal getter Kane was on the sidelines, with injury meaning he couldn’t suit up!

Tottenham Hotspur needed a hero to snap into action and it was Lucas Moura who stepped up!

The forward bravely won the ball in a challenge at the highway line on the fifty-fourth minute and played it forward to Dele Alli. The England international cut the ball back inside and Moura’s pace seen him reach the ball first as he approached the Ajax penalty area. He casually continued his run before steering his shot home like an arrow!

Could Spurs get back into this thing? 

Well four minutes later and it was 2-2 on the night. The ball pops out inside the box and Lucas Moura is onto it like a flash! He then runs the gauntlet of controlling the ball and dodging various challenges before he hammers it home!

Could they get one more? 

In the dying moments the Tottenham defence hoof the ball forward, it gets to Alli who quickly lays it into Lucas’ path. The attacker turns his shot into the net and like any good Marvel film we had found our superhero!

Pochettino stated all his players were heroes and in particular Moura (Source Daily Mail):

‘In the last year I am telling everyone that I have a group that are heroes and they showed big balls today. To take this club to the final of the Champions League is very close to a miracle.’

‘Superhero Moura! It was an unbelievable hat-trick. He deserves it, he’s a great guy.’

It seems very ironic that a patient club like Tottenham Hotspur (who are pretty prudent in the transfer market, trust their manager and aren’t all about star players) would get to a Champions League final before the high spending glitzy PSG.

It’s even more fitting that it would be the disregarded Lucas Moura that would produce the knock-out punch and have the game of his life to get Spurs to their first final at this elite level.

It might not always happen but it’s nice to see a manager stick by a team and a player like Moura and get such a rich reward!

Posted on May 9th, 2019 by scott
Filed under: Article