Rafael earned himself a deserved Man of the Match trophy today after Manchester United comfortably beat Everton 2-0 at Old Trafford, and Rafael has uploaded a picture of him holding his trophy with his daughter.
The Brazilian was outstanding in every respect. Defensively, he was faultless (3/3 tackles, 4 interceptions, 2 recoveries, 10 blocks) and in the attacking sense, he was a constant thorn in Everton’s side (86 touches [second highest on pitch], 44/52 passes, 2 chances created, 1 assist).
Rafael is blossoming this season and Manchester United are reaping the rewards. The combination of playing with Brazil in the London 2012 Olympics and Fabio leaving Old Trafford on loan, as well as the birth of his daughter, has seen Rafael rapidly mature into a professional.
Last season, he was unpredictably rash but this season, he is reliably level headed. He has transformed himself into the right-back we all hoped he could be and Gary Neville’s praise for the Brazilian today is a testament to how far he has come.
With Real Madrid and Ronaldo on Wednesday, our full backs are going to have to be in inspiring form if we are to keep him out but if Rafael can put in another flawless performance at the Santiago Bernabeu, we might have a chance at keeping Ronaldo at bay.
