Vasco da Gama beat Macae comfortably with 3-1, with all goals coming from the experienced German Cano. Vasco da Gama had a lot of variation in their game which troubled Macae massively. It was a 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
Ricardo Graça
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 16/02/1997
- Club: Vasco da Gama
- Career: Vasco (Y)
- Position: central defender
- Preferred foot: left
Ricardo Graça played as a right central defender. He is left-footed which was an interesting combination to see but he did well to cope with it. Ricardo Graça looked very comfortable on the ball and managed to find Andrey between the lines every time. He was also able to play longer passes and found a teammate making a run in behind in one of the first minutes. He put pressure on the opponent at the right times, but it looked like he did not scan that much and I do not think that he knew when an opponent was making a run in his back. Also, his acceleration did not seem that good. This is something that will be interesting to keep an eye out for when he plays against a better side. Ricardo Graça had some good defensive headers. However, as Vasco da Gama dominated possession most of the time, he did not have to do that much in defence and he did not really get tested. Therefore, it will be interesting to rewatch him again to take a look at his defensive qualities.
Rating – B2
Andrey
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Age: 22
- Date of birth: 15/02/1998
- Club: Vasco da Gama
- Career: Vasco (Y)
- Position: defensive midfielder
- Secondary position: central midfielder
- Preferred foot: right
Andrey played as a deep lying playmaker in the match against Macae. He was the main man in the build-up and liked to move between the oppositions attacking and midfield line, trying to get into space to receive the ball and being able to progress the ball higher up the pitch. Andrey has a very good technique. He is able to turn the right way and he has a good first touch. He has a good short pass and often found the right option. He liked to play long passes as well, but these were often inaccurate.
The Brazilian midfielder played in a low tempo and took his time to make a next move. However, he sometimes liked to carry the ball and in these moments, he was more aggressive. Still, he was not the quickest on the ball. He controlled the ball well when he was dribbling and held his balance well when he needed to avoid tackles. In defence, he often did well to position himself well and intercept passes, but he was not that aggressive and looked to play with a low intensity.
Rating – A2
Talles Magno
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Age: 18
- Date of birth: 26/06/2002
- Club: Vasco da Gama
- Career: Vasco (Y)
- Position: left winger
- Secondary position: striker and right winger
- Preferred foot: both
The talented Brazilian only played 55 minutes in this match and he operated on the left wing. Talles Magno liked to drop deep since the left-back of Vasco da Gama played as a third central defender when building up. This made sure that Talles Magno got into position on his own half as well. The Brazilian liked to stay close to the sideline when Vasco were in possession and he often dragged the right-back of Macae out of possession.
Talles Magno liked to carry the ball inside when he received on the wing and he put his body between the ball and opponent. This dragged a lot of fouls and he did well to hold off his opponent at times. Magno has good physical ability, especially for his age. He has good technical ability and has close control when he is dribbling, making it hard for opponents to recover possession. He could, and maybe should, have done better in his finishing/shooting from range as he often shot it too central.
Rating – A2
Vinícius
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Age: 19
- Date of birth: 01/03/2001
- Club: Vasco da Gama
- Career: Vasco (Y)
- Position: right winger
- Secondary position: left winger
- Preferred foot: right
The slim-build Vinícius played as a right winger, until Talles Magno got subbed off which meant that he needed to switch sides and play on the left. What stood out about Vinícius in his match was his quick feet in the 1v1 duels which often left the opponent confused and he dragged a lot of fouls. He is very tricky in the 1v1 and is able to go both on the outside and inside. He posed a constant threat for Macae in this match and often followed it up well. Vinícius liked to link up with German Cano by cutting inside before playing a one-two with the experienced Argentinian. The Brazilian got his crosses and final passes in good areas but he did not manage to reach a teammate often which was the only limitation to his game in the match against Macae.
Rating – A2