Casemiro backs out-of-favour James: "We all admire him"
Casemiro spoke highly of his Real Madrid teammate James Rodríguez as the two prepare to face off in the Brazil-Colombia World Cup qualifier on WednesdayBrazil U-17 vs Spain U-17 live online
As Brazil face Colombia on Wednesday in a crunch World Cup qualifier, Real Madrid’s Casemiro and Marcelo will take on their Los Blancos teammate, James Rodríguez.
In the buildup to the game, Madrid’s midfield linchpin Casemiro has taken the opportunity to heap praise on James, who has fallen out of favour at the club since Zinedine Zindane arrived earlier this year.
“James is a teammate who everyone admires,” the Brazilian told the media. “He’s a great player and he’s shown it at Madrid.”
Brazil v Colombia
Casemiro, 24, who – conversely to the Colombian – has made great strides at the Bernabéu under Zidane, assumes a similar role in the centre of the park with his country. Brazil go into Wednesday’s match coming off the back of defeating Ecuador last week, and will be looking for a repeat result against Colombia.
James, meanwhile, shone in José Pekerman side’s win over Venezuela – despite missing a penalty –, scoring one goal and assisting the other in a 2-0 victory.