On the 15th matchday of the Brasileirão Serie A, Fluminense and Corinthians met at Maracanã for a contest between two entertaining coaches: Brazilian Fernando Diniz and Portuguese Vítor Pereira. Timão were fighting to catch up with Palmeiras at the top of the table, and Flu was looking to hold on to their place in the Libertadores Cup qualifiers. Arranged in a 3x4x3, Vítor Pereira sought to defend Fernando Diniz’s functional game by ensuring he controlled the side corridors – an area where Flu usually makes more of a dent. However, the entrance into the half-spaces of players like Arias, Ganso, or Samuel Xavier destroyed the Portuguese coach’s low-medium block. In the middle of the excellent game of Flu, the chances started to pile up, and the result reached an expressive 4-0. On a special night, the goals were scored by Germán Cano (2x), Manoel, and the lucky Fred.
Ratings:
- A1 – Very good, could play higher
- A2 – Strong potential to play higher
- B1 – Good, strong player at level
- B2 – Potential to be a strong player at level
- C – Average for the level, rewatch
- D – Below average in this match
Guilherme Biro
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Age: 18
- Date of Birth: 20/04/2004
- Club: SC Corinthians
- Career: SC Corinthians
- Position: Right-winger
- Preferred Foot: Left
Placed as a left-midfielder in Vítor Pereira’s 5x4x1 formation, Biro left in the air the certainty that there was something special in his game. Due to the strategic proposal that the Portuguese brought to the game – low block in the defensive moment and searched for quick transitions – the young Brazilian only touched the ball 33 times. However, it was enough to realize that his left foot has quality. The way he glued the ball to his foot while driving allowed him to have total control of the game at those moments. Moreover, he always tried to define according to the game’s requirement, leaving good decisions near and inside the last third. Besides the ball game, he showed primacy in occupying the free spaces in the back of Fluminense midline: he rotates his neck and always appeared as a free man inside the opponent’s defensive block. In this chapter, Biro can improve the orientation of his supports: they should be more directed to the opponent’s goal and less to his own goal. This way, he can have more success in his actions.
At the defensive moment, Guilherme Biro was impressed by his physical availability to press high and recover defensively. Until the 76th minute, when he went out injured, Biro left everything in the duels he played, winning 6 of the ten he disputed. He also made five tackles. At the moment of defensive transition, he proved to be quick to react to the loss. His defensive positioning can improve because he often ended up opening Timão’s low block when he was lured by the ball, allowing Fluminense to enter his back.
Rating – A2
Vítor Pereira’s arrival at Corinthians could benefit Guilherme Biro due to the importance the Portuguese coach gives to training. If Biro is willing to continue to be a part of the game at all times, he could reach a significant level even in his younger years. The ceiling is high, and Biro can even get one of the main European leagues. If necessary, a move to a beneficial context from an intermediate point of view would be interesting.
Robert Renan
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Age: 18
- Date of Birth: 11/10/2003
- Club: SC Corinthians
- Career: SC Corinthians
- Position: Center-back
- Preferred Foot: Left
Robert Renan started in the middle, playing in a line of three central center-backs at the offensive moment. At the start of the match, Corinthians tried to play short, and Robert showed quality at the moment of progression and passing – especially in the vertical pass to find teammates inside the opponent’s block. The game continued, and Timão handed the initiative to the opponent, which generated a constant search for the long pass to the team forwards. In that chapter, Robert Renan hit 7 out of 8 passes that he tried, and besides the precision, the right strength he put on those passes deserves a highlight.
From the defensive point of view, in a low block in 5x4x1, Robert Renan suffered when defending his area. Individual weaknesses ended up sinking a collective that was already fragile, and Renan was no exception. He made mistakes in approach and positioning, which created much space for Fluminense’s finishers. Moreover, the way he allowed himself to be dragged by a deep movement, generating distance between the midline and the defensive line, brought great benefits to the opponent.
Regarding set-pieces, Robert Renan could improve the orientation of his supports. Several times, he was late because he went in the wrong direction. Moreover, he can improve the timing of the attack to the air ball, especially in those defensive moments.
Rating – A2
Although the collective of this game led to the constant occurrence of individual errors, Robert Renan shows quality in the ball outlet, something much appreciated by most coaches, including Vítor Pereira. If he improves his defensive approaches and physiology – he needs some muscle mass to become more imposing in duels – Robert can become a very useful center-back for the European leagues. The advisable thing would be to enter the Portugal Bwin League, or the Jupiler Pro League, for example, and then develop to the European top.