Paços de Ferreira played Boavista away, in a game where they tried to put an end to their 4 consecutive loss streak. Boavista mainly dominated the first half, in a half where both ends didn’t see much action. Paços almost got ahead after a great cross from Thomas but saw their goal disallowed after Matchoi used his hand. Boavista also had a very good chance with Gorré making a great run that ended with a great save by Vekic. The second half saw some more action with Thomas scoring an amazing goal; however it ended up being disallowed due to a foul in the beginning of the play. A couple minutes later Bozenik was able to put the ball in the back of Paços net with an impressive finish. The visiting side still tried to get back into the game, but the final result had already been settled. Paços de Ferreira are yet to score any points this season.
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
Matchoi Djaló
- Nationality: Portuguese
- Age: 19
- Date of Birth: 10/04/2003
- Current Club: Paços de Ferreira
- Career: Paços de Ferreira (Y), Paços de Ferreira
- Position: Centre Attacking Midfielder
- Secondary Position: Second Striker
- Preferred Foot: Right
Matchoi played on the left side of Paços’ 3-4-3 formation. The Portuguese attacker was always aware of his surroundings and exploited the free space between Boavista’s defensive lines very well. When his team had the ball he mainly played inside with Antunes or Juan Delgado occupying a wider role. Matchoi quickly tried to link up with his teammates allowing for a fast transition into the attacking phase.
Standing at 1.75m with a normal build, he has great pace with good balance and agility. Matchoi used his speed to apply rapid pressure to get the ball back. In addition, he was able to combine these traits with his good receiving skills to quickly turn and change direction with the ball when needed. The 19-year-old didn’t try going for 1v1s most of the time, even though when he did he was successful. He showed good close ball control that combined with his speed and quick changes in direction make him a very dangerous player in the attack. On the whole, he mainly relied on his right foot throughout the match.
Matchoi showed good vision and passing skills by playing some interesting through balls. He still needs to improve his composure near the final third. Although he didn’t seem to panic when under pressure, he sometimes rushed his passes unnecessarily and could improve his decision-making. His crossing technique seemed to be inconsistent both in open play and from free kicks. Besides, he only shot once but made a very good effort from a direct free kick that came really close to levelling back the score.
Rating – A2
Matchoi had a decent performance for Paços de Ferreira in this match, showing some good details during the 70 minutes of game time he had. If he can build some more confidence and starts going for more 1v1s, I believe he will be more dangerous near the final third. I would like to watch more from him to better understand his qualities in certain aspects of his game, but I believe he has the potential to play at a higher level in the future.