As soon as Scolari released the final 23 players who would be representing Brzil in the upcoming World Cup, some people were doubtful as to the striker’s ability to make an impact at such high level.
The 30-year-old was always impressive in Brazil, especially with Cruzeiro, where he scored 41 goals in 43 appearances. However, his spell at Lyon were rather disappointing; with 34 goals in 4 years, the striker failed to leave a mark in France.
VIDEO: watch Thiago Silva's beautiful assist and Fred's even better finish
However, since going back to Brazil, Fred began shining again, with an impressive 121 goals for Fluminense, where he played in the last five years. Despite the incredible numbers, most critics believed that the Brazilian would not be able to keep scoring with the same continuity against tough international opponents.
Fred celebrated his goal against Serbia in front of his people in Sao Paolo
Fred responded to the critics by scoring an absolute beauty against Serbia, which turned out to be the match-winner, as Brazil struggled to find more goals. The real artistry of the goal lies in the striker’s chest-stop, with which he simultaneously collected Thiago Silva’s great pass and skipped past two Serbians. Right after controlling the ball however, Fluminense’s striker lost his footing, possibly touched by a defender, yet still managed to hit the ball in the top corner, before falling to the ground.
Not as gifted technically as some of his teammates, Fred has a sixth sense for scoring
