Botafogo won their match against Cabofriense comfortably with 6-2 in the Campeonato Carioca. They played in a 4-3-3 formation and relied on the wingers to create chances and up the tempo. It was a very low tempo game which is not that strange to see in the state championships, as it mostly includes amateur teams and big clubs do not take it seriously. This is also a reason why these matches are not that representative, even though they are a good match to get a first impression of a player. I will give ratings, but keep what is mentioned above in mind.
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
Luis Henrique
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Age: 18
- Date of birth: 14/12/2001
- Club: Botafogo
- Career: Botafogo (Y)
- Position: left winger
- Secondary position: striker and right winger
- Preferred foot: right
Luis Henrique played as a left winger in this match. He had a lot of variation in his positioning and worked together well with the left-back. Henrique could stick to the sideline while dropping deeper, but also playing in the half-space while dropping deeper to support the build-up. However, he also liked to make runs in behind in both the half-space and on the wing. This made him a constant threat for his opponent as he constantly was in space to receive the ball.
When he received the ball, he liked to carry the ball forward while waiting for the defender to make a move. He could act quickly when the defender made his move and managed to get past his opponent nearly every time. Luis Henrique showed very good acceleration on the ball and could go both on the outside and the inside. The Brazilian has a solid-build and with this build, he is more than capable of holding off his opponent and he has a good balance when dribbling. Despite his build, he can turn well but he is not the most agile player.
The only thing that he could improve on based on Sunday’s match is his final pass, which lacked accuracy often despite the fact that he showed good vision and that he keeps calm in the final third. For example, he cut away from his opponent well when he got the chance to shoot which opened up more space. Henrique had a good eye for space in the final third and scored a very good goal, while also giving two assists in this match.
Rating – A2
Pedro Raul
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 05/11/1996
- Club: Botafogo
- Career: EC Cruzeiro, Vitória SC B, Goianiense (L), Botafogo
- Position: striker
- Preferred foot: right
Pedro Raul played as a striker in this match, and despite the fact that he scored two goals, he did not really impress. He is tall as he stands at 1,92m, which limits his mobility. Pedro Raul could not turn quickly and seemed to be very heavy-footed. The striker looked quite lazy in this match and did not do that much when Botafogo were building it out from the back. In the box, he showed good movement as he sneaked into space well when he scored his second goal, and he anticipated well that Luis Henrique could cross the ball at the 1-0.
In general, it was a flat performance and there is not much to write about.
Rating – B2
Luiz Fernando
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 16/10/1996
- Club: Botafogo
- Career: Goianiense (Y)
- Position: attacking midfielder
- Secondary position: left winger and right winger
- Preferred foot: right
Luiz Fernandez, like Pedro Raul, had a flat performance in this match. He played as a right winger and liked to drop deep while sticking close to the sideline which attracted the full-back to follow him, which created space in behind. He liked to make runs in behind the defensive line and in this match, it seemed to be really effective and he showed some good dribbling ability. His passing was alright and he had good acceleration, pace and a decent agility. He gave away a penalty, which in my opinion was not a foul.
In general, it was a flat performance and there is not much to write about.
Rating – B2