Grêmio Under 20 won their second match in the Copinha 2022 2-0, after dominating possession throughout the game and not getting in too much trouble. They had fewer nerves than last game and seemed to play with a lot more enjoyment. Grêmio once again set up in a 4-1-3-2 on paper, but it looked more like a 4-1-4-1. The Brazilians created many chances and scored two good goals through 16-year-old Kauan Kelvin and 19-year-old Gustavo Martins.
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
Cuiabano
Player profile:
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Age: 18
- Date of birth: 16/02/2003
- Current club: Grêmio
- Career: Grêmio
- Position: Left-Back
- Preferred foot: Left
This was the second time that I watched Cuiabano play in this tournament and he did better than in the first match, looking a lot better in the final third. Cuiabano even got an assist after taking a very good corner-kick. In the first phase of the build-up, Cuiabano could either be found playing as the third central defender or higher up the pitch, close to the sideline or in the half-space. The Brazilian showed good tactical intelligence by being in the right position often and linking up with his teammates. Cuiabano played some good, powerful passes into midfield.
Further up the pitch, Cuiabano occasionally made an overlapping run and put a cross into the box. He can work on his crossing technique when sprinting, but when he had more time he consequently put in a good cross. The Brazilian always wants to go forward with the ball and plays a lot of smart passes with the outside of the boot before continuing his run. His dribbling was quite good, as his acceleration was good and he could change directions well. There was only one situation in which he struggled to control the ball when dribbling.
Defensively, Cuiabano looked strong in the defensive duels and he was smart to slightly push his opponent without giving a foul away. The Brazilian is not scared in the duels and is positively aggressive in the duels where the ball is loose.
Rating – 1
Based on his first two matches, I think he could already be a squad player for the first team. He would do well in Serie B and I am looking forward to seeing him play more often.
Lucas Kawan
Player profile:
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Age: 18
- Date of birth: 14/02/2003
- Current club: Grêmio
- Career: Grêmio
- Position: Right-Back
- Preferred foot: Right
Lucas Kawan played once again as Grêmio’s right-back, but was not that much involved in attack as in last game where he managed to provide an assist to Kauan Kelvin. In the first phase of the build-up, he was always sticking close to the sideline, either moving higher up the pitch or staying in position. When he received the ball after staying in position, he would always carry the ball inside cautiously before passing it to the left central defender. When being put under pressure, Lucas Kawan showed good close control and the ability to dribble past his opponent by simply turning the right way. His acceleration was good, but his pace over long distance did not look great. In duels where the ball was loose, he usually was slower than his opponent.
Lucas Kawan occasionally was very sloppy in possession, giving away the ball on his own half. This seemed to be lapses in concentration. His long passing can also do with some improvement, as he does not strike the ball well when trying to play a crosspass to the other wing. Against Castanhal, Lucas Kawan took more time before crossing and this was successful as his delivery was more consistent than last time. Defensively, he liked to defend positively and leaned into his opponent when his opponent received the ball. He sometimes gave away a free-kick when doing this.
Rating – 3
I think his performance was much less promising than last performance and the future will determine whether this was an incident or his normal level. I think he is an interesting right-back with potential, but there currently are some red flags.
Kauan Kelvin
Player profile:
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Age: 16
- Date of birth: 21/01/2005
- Current club: Grêmio
- Career: Grêmio
- Position: Left Winger
- Secondary Position: Central Midfielder
- Preferred foot: Right
Kauan Kelvin once again scored the opening goal for Grêmio. He played next to Kevin on paper, but in reality he played in a deeper role and more as an attacking midfielder or even central midfielder. The young Brazilian started off less nervous than last match and was more involved in possession. He often dropped deep or drifted wide and got more touches on the ball. Kauan Kelvin occasionally showed his good acceleration on the ball, sprinting past opponents and looking really quick.
He often followed this up with a good action, but sometimes did not make the right decision in the final third or did not have a good final pass. Before he scored the 1-0, he carried the ball into the box and had a lot of time to either shoot or pick out a pass, but his pass was inaccurate. Gabriel Silva picked up the cross and after some shots got blocked, Kauan Kelvin scored with a lot of confidence in his shot.
Kauan Kelvin has a really good technique and his cross passing was great. He made a lot of runs into the box and looked to have a good eye for space. His shooting from distance was good and just missed the target. He strikes the ball really well. Kauan Kelvin occasionally was very sloppy in possession, either playing a bad pass or having a bad first touch. The Brazilian has good pace over long distance, changes direction well and is quick on the turn.
Rating – 2
Kauan Kelvin is still very raw, but his potential seems to be great. As the youngest player, he scored the opening goal twice and has played an important part in Grêmio’s wins over Mixto and Castanhal. I am looking forward to his next performances in the 2022 Copinha and I am interested to see how he will fare against more competitive sides.