Ratings
- A1 – Very good, could play higher
- A2 – Strong potential to play higher
- B1 – Good, strong player at level
- B2 – Potential to be strong player at level
- C – Average for the level, rewatch
- D – Below average in this match
Rabbi Matondo
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Welsh
- Age: 19
- Date of birth: 09/09/2000
- Current Club: Schalke
- Career: Cardiff (Y), Manchester City (Y), Schalke
- Position: Right Wing
- Secondary Position: Left Wing
- Preferred foot: Right
Matondo played on the left wing, showing great athleticism and the ability to carry the ball with tight control. He’s got a low centre of gravity, good agility and burst of pace. However he’s very slim and lightweight and lacks power on the ball. He wanted to drive at the defence, trying to use his pace to beat defenders and play in tight spaces but didn’t try much in 1v1 situations and lost the ball a lot.
He is quite a raw player and predictable at times. He was quiet before being subbed off in the 77th minute. Schalke’s attack was poor and they struggled to progress the ball which made it hard for him to get a lot of the ball. He only completed 11 passes, which were short and simple but was able to play in tight spaces quite well. He didn’t get into crossing positions but good on counter attacks and had a big chance saved where his shooting technique could have been better. He showed good intelligence in the final third at times and pressed well but failed to impact the game enough.
Matondo has a lot of potential but in a Schalke side that is currently very weak, Matondo showed glimpses of quality with a strong athletic profile but is very lightweight and needs to add more to his game.
Rating – A2
Weston McKennie
Player Profile:
- Nationality: American
- Age: 21
- Date of birth: 28/08/1998
- Current Club: Schalke
- Career: FC Dallas (Y), Schalke
- Position: Central Midfield
- Secondary Position: Defensive Midfield
- Preferred foot: Right
McKennie, in a double pivot with Serdar, had the deeper role. He dropped between the centre halves in the buildup. His passing was smooth but he mostly circulated it between the centre halves without progressing it much. Once again Schalke lacked presence and options through the middle and McKennie struggled to progress the ball forward and lacked a passing range. He lowered the tempo of the game quite a bit on the ball and a few passes were underweighted and he made a few mistakes in possession which gave away the ball in dangerous areas.
Before being subbed off in the 73rd minute, McKennie put in a good defensive performance. He read play well and was usually in the right place to make interceptions and pressed the opposition well. He’s quite stocky and used his body well in challenges to win the ball and stop counter attacks. He isn’t the most agile or explosive but does have okay overall pace, but got beaten by bursts of pace by the opposition to create space between them. He worked hard and covered a lot of ground in midfield out of possession.
Rating – B1
Suat Serdar
Player Profile:
- Nationality: German
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 11/04/1997
- Current Club: Schalke
- Career: Mainz, Schalke
- Position: Centre Midfield
- Secondary Position: Defensive Midfield
- Preferred foot: Right
Serdar is a technical player who wants to carry the ball. He has great control in tight areas but he’s very predictable and runs into traffic easily. Him receiving the ball is an easy pressing trigger for opposition teams as you know he’ll try to dribble. He needs to mix this up more and make better decisions. His passing was fairly conservative and he didn’t work hard enough for his positioning in midfield to offer an option in the buildup. He receives the ball fairly well with good head checks but could be more explosive with his turns and pick up his head more to then play forwards.
When trying to win the ball back he was rash and erratic. He lacks technique when defending and tends to just run into players, either fouling or letting them through. He has a slim build and lacks power to be aggressive in challenges. He was ball watching a few times and needed to work harder before being subbed off injured in the 57th minute.
Rating – D
Jonjoe Kenny
Player Profile:
- Nationality: English
- Age: 21
- Date of birth: 28/08/1998
- Current Club: Schalke, on loan from Everton
- Career: Everton, Wigan (L), Oxford (L), Schalke (L)
- Position: Right Back
- Preferred foot: Right
The Everton loanee had an okay game where he failed to standout and was at fault for the third goal. He’s lightweight but lacks agility and has a slow change of direction. He did okay defensively but lacked aggression and was better at pressing high up the pitch than defending 1v1.
His crossing was decent, hitting several from early positions which were decent quality. His passing in buildup was poor in deeper areas and mostly went backwards but was able to play short passes down the line to his winger. He kept his passing short and lost the ball quite a few times while trying to link up with teammates with combination play in the opposition half which wasn’t coming off.
Rating – B2
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