Defensa y Justicia faced Vasco da Gama for the Round of 16 first leg of “Copa Sudamericana”. Defensa y Justicia set up in a 4-1-4-1 system, trying to have possession of the game and attack from the sides. It was an even match, since Vasco was well standing in a low block and defended solidly. On the other hand, Vasco da Gama did not generate many goal situations, prioritizing keeping its goal at 0. The second half was a slightly more open game, where both teams were more encouraged. The final score was 1-1, and it ended up being fair.
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
Valentin Larralde
- Nationality: Argentine
- Age: 20
- Date of Birth: 15/11/2000
- Club: Defensa y Justicia
- Career: Defensa y Justicia
- Position: Central Midfield
- Preferred foot: right
Valentín Larralde is a 1.70, lightweight (65kg) midfielder who is characterized by having good ball handling. He was located as a right Central Midfielder, and his role was to try to be the link with the forwards. When the team had the ball, he often stood behind the line of opposition midfielders, but very rarely could he receive in space. The times he touched the ball, on several occasions he did it on his back to goal, and was able to solve quickly and correctly. I notice that, being a player with little experience, his teammates did not usually look for him as a first pass option.
When Defensa y Justicia did not have the ball, they pressed the opposition high, and Valentín jumped to pressure the Left Center Back. In midfield areas, he was in charge of marking Leonardo Gil or Marco Junior according to the zone of the field. Defensive duels are clearly not his strong suit, and at times he loses his patience and ends up falling halfway when trying to get the ball back.
Technically he is a good player, and he has very good ball control. Short passes that he make with either a single or multiple touches are generally safe. Sometimes when the ball needs a change of orientation, he plays it on the same side, where there are many players. He has facility to drive the ball at speed, and he seems faster with ball that without it.
Tactically he is very good, and he fulfilled what was requested by the coach. He needed to loosen up more in attack and reach goal positions. He is a midfielder, who is always working for the team, but during the second half a decrease in his physical performance could be seen and he was replaced at 32 minutes of the second half.
Rating: C
Valentin Larralde game had an anonymous game. Considering that this was his second game in the first team , I recommend watching him again to analyze his evolution in the game.
Adonis Frias
- Nationality: Argentine
- Age: 22
- Date of Birth: 17/03/1998
- Club: Defensa y Justicia
- Career: Defensa y Justicia
- Position: Centre Back
- Preferred foot: Right
Adonis Frias is a player who has settled this year as a defender of Defensa y Justicia, playing in the position of Right Centre Back. He is 1.85 tall and weighs 80kg, so it can be considered a good physique for the position. Strong and tenacious defender in the 1 v 1, and who is lucky to be sharing the back with another great player like Héctor Martinez.
The opposing team tried to attack on a counterattack, but did not succeed many times. That said, we can say that he is a strong player defensively, and that he sometimes fails by being very fierce in the tackles. He reads the game very well, and is really quick to anticipate the opponent or to cover his teammates. He will have to correct his decision making as sometimes rushes when trying to recover the ball and leaves his area uncovered. At the same time, he has a strong jump and many times wins in air duels both in defense and offense.
For his position, he is fast and has a strong stride. He won some duels in this match thanks to his physical and speed skills. He even uses this virtue, to make progressive runs and go on the attack. Technically he will have to improve in the controls, since on some occasions he lost balls that ended up being dangerous. On the other hand, he has a good left-foot strike for making long passes.
In the back, he is very safe in passing, and tries to find passes between the lines to progress on the field. He will have to improve on cross passes as there are some occasions where he becomes imprecise in that regard. It must be taken into account that both central defenders are the first option to start playing. The central midfielder is positioned as a Center Back when Defensa y Justicia have the ball, letting Frias an Martinez more space to move.
Rating: A2
He is a very interesting player with good defensive and offensive qualities. It has good potential to keep improving. If he continue to gain experience, he will soon be able to play in a Better League.
Hector Martinez
- Nationality: Argentine
- Age: 22
- Date of Birth: 21/01/1998
- Club: Defensa y Justicia
- Career: Defensa y Justicia
- Position: Centre Back
- Preferred foot: Left
Héctor Martinez is a great defender with a very promising future. Left Centre Back with a height of 1.80, and great offensive qualities. In my opinion, he is one of the best Central Defenders in Argentina League.
His main virtue is his passing technique and ball driving ability. In terms of numbers, he is among the 3 defenders with the most good passes achieved and the most forward / progressive passes made. At the same time, he is among the top 5 in long passes and progressive runs. Last on defense, he’s in the top 3 in interceptions (adjusted for ball possession).
In build-up plays, Martinez is the main option, and he always tries to look for passes between the lines so that the team progresses on the field. His long balls are very dangerous and can lead to scoring situations. He has a very good technical ability, both in control of the ball and in passing quality. Even when there are pressing situations, he usually comes out playing correctly.
Tactically he likes to go on the attack, but his teammates are used to these climbs and cover him properly. When he makes progressive runs, he usually ends up in the penalty area looking to finish the play. In defense he is usually well positioned, although at times he can have difficulties in the mark with his right leg.
Defensively he uses his intelligence to win duels, either by anticipation or by cunning. He is not one of the fastest center-backs, and if the forward is very fast he can complicate it. Anyway, at a general level I can say that he is good defensively although he will have to improve in certain aspects.
In aerial duels, he has great timing and many times when he wins with the head he tries to pass the ball to a teammate. In the rival penalty area, he manages to win duels due to his great intuition capacity.
His technical qualities perfectly match Defensa y Justicia style of play, further enhancing his game. He is the ideal left center back for a team that tries to dominate the game and prioritize building-up from the back.
Rating: A1
In my opinion, he is ready to make the leap to Europe, and probably next year we will see him playing in the 5 Big Leagues.