Red Bull Bragantino under 20 had a very energetic opening game of the 2022 edition of the Copinha tournament. They dominated the opponent and put them under very high pressure. RB Bragantino played in a 4-3-3 formation and opened the score after just a few minutes. They went to the half-time break with a 2-0 lead and after Juguariuna had a player sent off, Red Bull Bragantino extended the lead to 0-6.
Youth Ratings
1 – Ready for the first team
2 – Good, potential to be first team
3 – Decent, could make first team squad
4 – Decent potential, unlikely to make it to first team
5 – Unlikely to make first team
Bruninho
Player profile:
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Age: 18
- Date of birth: 14/03/2003
- Current club: RB Bragantino
- Career: RB Bragantino
- Position: Striker
- Preferred foot: Right
Bruninho started as the lone striker for Red Bull Bragantino in the match against Jaguariuna U20. The Brazilian youngster, who already debuted for the first team of Red Bull Bragantino, possesses a lot of pace over long distance and is very quick on the first meters. When receiving the ball, Bruninho always turned the right way and he managed to evade pressure quite easily. The 18-year-old is very good in the tight spaces, as he has good close control, agility and acceleration.
The striker has a great technique, which came in handy quite often. He had a great first touch under pressure and managed to find his teammates with good through passes. Bruninho showed great vision when on the ball and has a very good crosspass. The youngster scored an amazing goal in the first half. After he made a good run, he received the ball and he cut inside to his weaker left foot. He released a very powerful shot that was not saveable for the Jaguariuna goalkeeper.
There were two aspects in which he needs to improve on based on this match. First of all, when Gustavinho was in a good position to cut inside to his stronger right foot, Bruninho failed to recognize that and make a run in behind. If he would have made a run in behind there, he would have dragged an opponent with him and that would have opened up space for Gustavinho to move into. The second aspect is his ability in the aerial duels. He lost all duels as he failed to use his body in a smart way, like Gustavinho did.
Rating – 1
Bruninho seems to be a special player who has a bright future ahead of him. I am looking forward to seeing him progress with Red Bull Bragantino to the latter stages of the tournament to see how he fares against better opponents.
Juliano
Player profile:
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Age: 19
- Date of birth: 05/08/2002
- Current club: RB Bragantino
- Career: RB Bragantino
- Position: Right-Back
- Preferred foot: Right
Juliano started as a right-back for Red Bull Bragantino in their first match at this year’s Copinha. The right-back had a really good performance – looking like a well-rounded full-back who fits perfectly in the Red Bull Bragantino playing style. Offensively, the right-back showed his offensive mindset quite a few times. Even when defending, he was thinking about attacking, as he put pressure high up the pitch and immediately made a run in behind after intercepting the ball. When he would receive the ball on the wing, Juliano did well to look over the ball and pick out a teammate in the box. The full-back has a good crossing technique and this helped him to put in accurate crosses.
Defensively, Juliano did well in the defensive duels. He looked strong and did not give much space to his opponent. There were a few 1v1 duels in which he had a static stance, instead of staying on his feet and adjusting his positioning to the movement of the opponent. Juliano occasionally showed good anticipation and his slide tackling was good. The 19-year-old was quick on the turn and liked to use quick feints and stepovers to evade pressure. His first touch when receiving aerial balls was good. Juliano has good pace over long distance and was quite quick on the first meters too. He showed that he has great stamina, completing the full 90 minutes and consistently running up and down the wing.
Rating – 3
Juliano looked like a promising player for Red Bull Bragantino under 20, but I need to watch him against a better side, because I want to know what his defensive decision-making is like against good wingers.
Chumbinho
Player profile:
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Age: 18
- Date of birth: 22/09/2003
- Current club: RB Bragantino
- Career: RB Bragantino
- Position: Central Midfielder
- Preferred foot: Right
Chumbinho, full name Willian da Silva Santos, played as the right central midfielder for Red Bull Bragantino under 20 in the match against Jaguariuna under 20. The midfielder had an energetic performance before being subbed off in the 52nd minute. The Brazilian midfielder had an elegant style when on the ball, combining great physical ability with great technical ability. The midfielder liked to make runs in behind and arrive into the box at the right time. He timed his runs very well and seemed to have a good eye for space. Chumbinho was not found often by his teammates in these areas, but when he did he was immediately very dangerous.
Chumbinho used his body very well in the duels, staying on the ball even though he got put under pressure by two opponents. He showed great balance staying on the ball and turning away from the opponents. Chumbinho is a very tall midfielder, but even though he has very long legs he was quick on the turn and on the first meters. Both offensively and defensively, he was everywhere on the pitch. Out of possession, he often drifted wide which could get exploited against better sides but it turned out to be effective in this match, as the level of the opponents was not that good. Chumbinho scanned well and was positively aggressive in the duels. He defended really well and looked like a really complete midfielder.
Rating – 2
I think Chumbinho could already do a really good job for a lot of Serie A teams, but I am not sure if he is already good enough for the first team of Red Bull Bragantino. Future matches will turn out whether this prediction is right and I am looking forward to seeing him play in the latter stages of this tournament.
Gustavinho
Player profile:
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Age: 17
- Date of birth: 23/04/2004
- Current club: RB Bragantino
- Career: RB Bragantino
- Position: Left Winger
- Preferred foot: Right
Gustavinho had a man of the match performance, scoring one and assisting two goals for Red Bull Bragantino under 20. The winger started off on the left wing, but had a lot of variation between playing on the left and right wing throughout the game. His first notable of action in the game came very early in the first half, where he was attentive after Bruninho’s shot got saved by Jaguariuna’s goalkeeper. The winger showed great technical ability as he hit the ball first-time out of the air to score the opening goal. Gustavinho was really good at using his body in aerial duels, even though he has quite a small build he won nearly every duel.
The winger has great acceleration and is very quick on long distance. The 17-year-old showed great close control in the tight spaces and managed to play out of pressure nearly every time. Even when he was being put under pressure by a stronger opponent, he managed to stay on his feet, keep his balance and control the ball well. In these situations he was also able to turn away from his opponent, using his good agility and close control. Gustavinho coached his teammates well. His two assists were simple passes and not too special. There was one occasion where Gustavinho should have made a run in behind, but he didn’t which led to the chance being wasted.
Rating – 1
Gustavinho should already start to get some minutes in the first team of Red Bull Bragantino. He proved to be a mature player at the age of just 17 and even though he has a small build he looked really strong on the ball. I am looking forward to his next matches.