The surprise first appearances of Fabio da Silva and Rafael da Silva in United's pre season friendly at Peterborough on Monday 4 August has left fans wanting to know more about the boys from Brazil.
How old are they?
The twin brothers turned 18 last month, a milestone which enabled the club to gain clearance for the pair to play. For the record, they were born on 9 July 1990 in Petropolis, Rio de Janeiro - the spiritual home of Brazilian football.
What positions do they play in?
They are primarily full-backs - Rafael on the right, Fabio on the left. But the attacking ability and desire they demonstrated against Peterborough suggests that, like Patrice Evra, they would be equally adept at wide midfield.
Who did they play for previously?
The da Silva twins joined United from Fluminense, one of the four main football clubs in Rio (the others being Botafogo, Flamengo and Vasco da Gama). Legendary Fluminense players include the late Tele Santana, who went on to manage Brazil's World Cup squads of 1982 and 1986.
How did United find them?
The brothers were spotted by Les Kershaw, then Academy Manager, in the summer of 2005 while playing for
Fluminense in a Hong Kong youth tournament.
Have they played for Brazil?
Fabio captained and top-scored in the Under-17 World Cup finals in Korea. Rafael also impressed during the same competition in which Brazil were unfortunate to bow out at the last 16 stage. FIFA.com's report on their final game against Ghana says "Brazil's calm and intricate build-up play was impressive to behold as the imperious Fabio pulled the strings."
How does Sir Alex rate them?
"I think they're both excellent footballers, I really do. They've got great enthusiasm and desire to play the game. It's a typical Brazilian situation, they just love playing. They're quick and they're determined.
"What we don't know is their game appreciation because they haven't played for a year. Their old club Fluminense didn't play them because they were joining us. Then they joined us in January (2008) but it was too late for the work permit application.
"Their 18th birthday meant we could apply through international clearance which we got only a couple of days ago. We're all delighted for the kids because they've worked so hard in training, they never miss a session and I'm really hopeful they'll do well."
双胞胎兄弟法比奥-达-席尔瓦和拉法尔-达-席尔瓦在曼联季前热身赛的首次亮相十分抢眼,球迷们也迫切想知道他们的更多.
他们多大?
兄弟俩上个月刚满18,这也是他们有资格为俱乐部打比赛的最小年龄.1990年7月9日,他们出生在巴西里约热内卢的Petropolis----那里几乎是巴西足球的象征.
他们踢什么位置?
边后卫----拉法尔右边,法比奥左边.但从对阵彼得堡联队的比赛中可以看出,他们有着类似于埃夫拉的进攻欲望和能力,所以中场也可以胜任.
他们之前为谁效力?
弗鲁米嫩塞,里约热内卢最大的四家俱乐部之一,那里涌现过桑塔纳这样的传奇人物.
曼联如何发现他们?
2005年,莱斯-科尔肖在香港举行的一个青年杯赛中发现了他们.
他们为巴西出场过吗?
法比奥在韩国举行的17岁以下世界杯决赛阶段中,担任巴西队长并且是队内最佳射手.拉法尔同样出场,表现出色.只可惜他们在八分之一决赛中意外出局.国际足联官网在他们被加纳淘汰的赛后报告中写道;"霸气的拉法尔一人导演了巴西全队冷静精妙的配合."
弗格森如何评价他们?
"我真的认为他们是出色的球员.他们对足球有很大的激情和欲望.这是典型的巴西风格,无比热爱足球.他们速度快,而且很有决心.
"但是我们不知道他俩这一年进步如何.他们早就加盟了我们,所以不能为弗鲁米嫩塞效力,但是因为劳工证的原因,他们也不能为曼联出场,这就导致他们一年没球踢.
"他们不久前才满18岁,才得到了为曼联出场的资格.我们很高兴地看到俩人在训练中的刻苦精神,他们没有缺席任何训练内容,我相信他们可以做到最好." |
發表於 2008-8-12 10:21 PM
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發表於 2008-8-12 10:57 PM
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