On June 26th, Spezia played away against Frosinone. This was a very important match as both teams are pushing for a spot for promotion play-offs in the Serie B. Spezia played with an attacking 4-3-3 formation, which proved to be a 4-1-4-1 formation in attack and a 4-2-3-1 formation in the defensive side of the game. Frosinone was stronger and led 1-0 going into the second half, before Spezia equalised. In the end it was Frosinone who proved to be the strongest and got away with a vital 2-1 win.
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
Riccardo Marchizza
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Italy
- Age: 22
- Date of birth: 26/03/1998
- Club: Spezia Calcio, on loan from US Sassuolo
- Career: AS Roma (Y), Sassuolo, Avellino (L), Crotone (L), Spezia Calcio (L).
- Position: Centre Half
- Secondary position: Left Back
- Preferred foot: Left
Marchizza is a defender who played this game in the left-back position and made a good impression on that side. He is 186cm and is solid in the air, winning many aerial duels and was equally strong in challenges on the ground. He impressed in 1v1s, because of his agility, strength and pace – which made him hard to beat for the Frosinone attackers.
What impressed me as well, was his positioning in defence. He knows where to position himself in the transition from attack to defence, as well as in the transition from defence to attack. Because of that, he can intercept the ball on numerous occasions and become an asset in attack.
His passing is direct and he tries to pass the ball to a midfielder, or cross the ball diagonally to the upcoming right-back or the right midfielder, after which he closes in and makes a run for himself. These passes are full of risk and although the intention is clear, the execution can be poor at times and he has to correct himself with tackles – which are good.
Rating – A2
Although Spezia lost this game, Marchizza is a very good player at this level and could do well in the Serie A, could be a starter.
Elio Capradossi
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Italy
- Age: 24
- Date of birth: 11/03/1996
- Club: Spezia Calcio, on loan from AS Roma
- Career: AS Roma, Bari (L), Bari (L), Spezia Calcio (L)
- Position: Centre Half
- Preferred foot: Either
Capradossi played as the left centre-half in the four-man defence of Spezia Calcio. He is 185cm tall and has a strong, physical appearance. He uses his physique quite well in both the aerial and ground duels, in which he excels. In the 1v1, he is not that impressive. He is strong, but not as quick on his feet and if a quick attacker wants to run past him, he is quite easily defeated with poor turning speed.
His passing is not refined, as he just wants to clear the ball and make sure that it is out of the threat-zone. He either passes it long to the attacking players or gives it to his full-backs. He leaves the constructing of an attack to his full-backs.
He is a typical defender who excels at defending: clearing balls, winning duels, and makes sure the attackers can’t progress. His defensive positioning is good and whenever he commits to a tackle, he wins the challenge. However, when he tries to pass the ball to the midfielders, the ball is often intercepted and there is an imminent threat.
Rating – B1
He is a very decent defender at Serie B level, playing for a good side in that league. I need to see more to assess him fully and make a conclusion whether he can go to a higher level.
Giulio Maggiore
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Italy
- Age: 22
- Date of birth: 12/03/1998
- Club: Spezia Calcio
- Career: Spezia Calcio
- Position: central midfield
- Secondary position: defensive midfield, attacking midfield
- Preferred foot: right
Maggiore played as a left central midfielder in the game against Frosinone. The 1,84 meters tall midfielder is strong and has a good first touch, with an eye for the attacking phase of the game. He wins most of his direct duels and is a force in the air, considering he wins a lot of aerial duels. In a defensive sense, he was very stable in the 1v1. He did not commit to tackles, but forced the opponent to pass the ball.
His positioning is very good and he knows where to get the ball to. He knows how to progress the attacks and makes sure he gives the right passes to do so. This is something he has to do, as he is not quick and lacks dribbling abilities – so this leaves him giving others the opportunities to actually force something in the final third.
His passing is questionable. He offers a lot of good direct passes to the other midfielders, which are rather safe. But the crosses and through balls seem to lack confidence and only a few were successful against Frosinone.
What stood out was his stamina and physical fitness. Maggiore kept running and tracking down his direct opponents, which added to his position – even late in the game.
Rating: B1
I’m really not sure about this player. There is room for improvement and I can see him doing well at the top of the Serie B, but he needs to be looked at more often to see if he can progress to the Serie A or another Top-5 league in Europe.
Player Profile:
- Nationality: France/Angola
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 18/08/1996
- Club: Spezia Calcio on loan from Trapani
- Career: Troyes (Y), Académica Coimbra (Y), Vitrus Francavilla Calcio, Carpi, Trapani (L), Carpi, Trapani
- Position: striker
- Secondary position: left-wing attack, right-wing attack
- Preferred foot: right
Nzola is a striker, but played on the right wing in the game against Frosinone. He uses his strength and dribbling abilities to cut inside and create chances from there. He is decent in the 1v1’s as he uses both his strength and pace to beat his direct opponent. If he does not cut inside, he is seeking to deliver a cross into the box.
His passing is decent and his movement in the box is good, so that he is always able to receive the ball. His first touch, however, is quite poor. His decision making is poor too. He gets in the right positions to be decisive in the final third, but he does not back it up with an end product.
He was quite unlucky as he lost the ball frequently, which led to transition and a dangerous counter-attacks from Frosinone. This is due to his indecisiveness and lack of the ability to read the game. He did not leave a lasting impression.
Rating: B2
He has some excellent attacking features, but overall I do not see the potential to grow out of this league.
Target Scouting 