The relegation battle in Portugal is a close one, as there are three teams that are in equal points. Portimonense are one of them, and they faced Paços de Ferreira. Individual errors by Portimonense allowed Paços to take the lead in the two only situations they managed to get close to Portimonense’s goal. Portimonense succeeded to react with Bruno Tabata, who brought danger with his left foot to organize the attack. Portimonense tried to bounce back after they conceded, but Paços defended well and managed to be dangerous on the counter attack numerous times. Playing against a low, compact block, Portimonense played a lot of crosses from a deeper position, but they did not get dangerous at all.
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
Lucas Fernandes
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Date of birth: 20-09-1997
- Age: 22
- Club: Portimonense
- Career: São Paulo (Y), São Paulo, Portimonense (L), Portimonense
- Position: attacking midfielder
- Secondary position: right midfielder , left midfielder and central midfielder
- Preferred foot: right
Lucas Fernandes played first as a second striker offering a support with his positioning in the attack. With the difficult to hold and create danger he adjusted his position to offer solutions in deeper position.
At first, with Junior Tavares and Dener in the midfield, he had more freedom to move into the front of attack and offer solutions between the lines. At the reception between the lines, he did not hold the ball much, he had this will to combine and find wide players bringing speed in the final third. In this high position, he could compensate the movements from Ricardo Vaz Tê when he came in a deeper position to keep the pressure on the defensive line and to not let the rival block getting higher. His play off the ball permit to form a triangle on the wide position to facilitate the conservation and progression in the oppositions half. He has a precise right foot who can permit him to create danger by the pass or the shot, in this match he did not show a high accuracy to bring danger. His best attacking situation was in a set piece in the 20 meters who obligate Ricardo Ribeiro to intervene to not concede a goal.
In his passing game, his short pass play was precise, but when he tried to play with long balls, he showed an inefficiency who did not permit him to orientate and active weak zone of the field. At the end of the match, his movements offer solutions in the final third. He was focusing on the left axis, dominating this half space position to cut and create vertical solution in the interval to get into the final third. When he initiates combinations with his partners, he has this will to bring forward movement to not lateralize the possession and bring energy. When he played in a deeper position, his good technical play permits him to hold the ball and resist to the opponents pressure, escaping from them with a smart feint to open the space and launch the transition in a deeper position.
In his positioning and against a team who mostly attack in transition, his defensive contribution was mostly focused on the first stage of play from the opponents. Portimonense shaped in a 4-4-2 during defensive phase, he joined with Ricardo Vaz Tê in this first pressure line. In a central position, on his side, he put pressure on the ball carrier to rush the play of the opponent. He needs to increase his aerial presence, it’s an aspect where he lacks domination and this impacts his efficiency on his play. When he compensated the movements of Ricardo Vaz Tê, if the ball gets in the air, he could not take advantage of his high positioning to dominate the ball and hold this position, this led to possession loss a few times. In his defending, he did not play with power, but mostly with his agility to coordinate his body positioning to protect the ball, but when he can not pass his shoulder in front of his direct opponents to secure the ball, at the contact the opponent can recover easily the possession and attack. At the end of the game while the team were playing in a high position, he lost a duel that could have ended with a goal.
His play off the ball offer solutions to play vertically in the opposite half and also can active combination with forwards to bring depth and speed in the final third. He is confident with the ball, he can hold and escape against the oppositions pressure getting the ball in low position to launch the counter-attack. His right foot is precise and allows him to bring danger by the pass or the shot in mid range position. He needs to be more consistent, he can disappear during a match and he needs to enhance his force to not get into difficulty when the intensity get higher.
Rating: A2
Bruno Tabata
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Date of birth: 30-03-1997
- Age: 23
- Club: Portimonense
- Career: Atlético Mineiro (Y), Portimonense
- Position: right winger
- Secondary position: left winger and attacking midfielder
- Preferred foot: left
Bruno Tabata began the game as right winger, animating his channel with his good relationship on the pitch with Hackman. At the end of the game with the entrance of Koki Anzai, he played on the left side soliciting his left foot more easily to find forwards players with crosses.
On his right side, he adjusted his position depending on the height of Portimonense’s block. In a medium or low position, he gets into a wide position to offer vertical solutions, at the reception his good ball control helped him to hold in this first stage of play and get onto his left foot to combine or orientate the play in the other side. In a higher position, he gets into an interior position which offers Hackman more freedom on the right channel to play higher up the pitch. With Portimonense playing a lot of long balls, Hackman offers his good presence in the air to facilitate the link with Bruno Tabata who could receive and run with the ball to get in the final third. In the equalizing goal, it’s Hackman, who wins the aerial duel which allows him to play the pass to Bruno Tabata who gets into the final third, his good ball control permit to dominate and obtain a set piece in a good position. Bruno Tabata and his precise left foot, forced Marcelo to score on his own goal. Between the lines, Bruno Tabata can easily face the game, keeping the control of the ball to dribble and combine with his partners in the final third. His position in the half-space, gets him the attention which opens up space for Hackman to enter in the final third. His acceleration and technique permits him to get into the final third and bring danger with his ability to dribble and infiltrate the opponent’s area but on the right side when he penetrates on the final third he can get isolated if the opponent bring superiority, with his will to play only with his left foot his opponents can restrain his activity. At the end of the match, he played on the left side, this position permit to play long balls and crosses to find forward players in the area from a deeper position ( With 6 crosses succeeded on 13 attempted, he is the players who succeeded most crosses during the match). With 3 key passes, he is also the player who made more key passes during the match.
He is not a tall player but he is a strong player, he can get into duel with his opponents to recover or keep the possession of the ball and attack. In this match, with 7 ground duels won, he is the player the most efficient in this aspect. His good reading game permits him to anticipate and intercept the ball in high position. In his defensive position, he joins Hackman in lower position to close space and limit the attacking activity of the opponent on his side. In show difficulty to respond in the air, his lack of presence on this aspect was compensating with Hackman.
Bruno Tabata is a versatile player able to play on both sides of the attack, his technical ability and his precise left foot help him to impact the attack. He can show his acceleration and good ball control to dribble and drive the ball in key areas to create danger, he has this ability to attack open space but also showing his precision in tight spaces. He can also bring danger into deep position with his left foot to find his partners in key areas. Even if he plays in a team in difficulty, he is one of the players which highlight by his performances. He is one of the most creative players in the Liga NOS. He is implicated in 28% of the goals of Portimonense. He is probably the best player who can help Portimonense to stay in Liga NOS but at the end of this season he could expect playing in a higher lever. He could seek a team who play in the European cup.
Rating: A1