Fordham Rams beat the Manhattan Jaspers 3-1 on the Jack Coffey Field. The Fordham Rams set up in a possession-based 4-3-3. They tried to build up patiently but were sometimes forced back by the Manhattan Jaspers. Fordham Rams’s striker Nathan Simes scored two goals, helping the team to get past the Manhattan Jaspers on the fourth matchday of the league.
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
Nathan Simes
- Nationality: New Zealand
- Age: 19
- Date of birth: 29/03/2003
- Club: Fordham Rams
- Career: Fordham Rams
- Position: Striker
- Preferred foot: Right
Nathan Simes played as a striker for Fordham University. He looks pretty tall with an average build. He was definitely not the quickest on the pitch but also not slow. The striker occasionally displayed good bursts of speed. Simes maintained his speed over long distances well. The striker lost balance in a few duels but generally displayed decent strength, but he could work on his leg and body strength to further develop his strength and to maintain his balance in some situations. Despite having a tall frame, Simes looked pretty mobile but wasn’t always that quick changing directions. It is important for Simes to work on his athleticism and mobility. This would make him a more effective targetman for his teammates. The striker displayed a good technique throughout the game, linking up well with teammates after opening up passing lanes at the right times. Simes did well to come short and provide passing options for teammates who were put under pressure.
Even though he didn’t always execute his passes to perfection, Simes displayed a good passing technique over short and long distances with both feet. He picked out the right passes and showed decent vision. Simes finds space in the box really well with effective runs but his teammates did not always manage to find him. The striker had one good heading opportunity but did not connect with the ball properly. Simes showed his good poaching instincts for Fordham’s opening goal when he was first to the rebound. Despite being a natural striker, Simes showed that he is not selfish in the final third, also looking for passing options instead of being tunnel-visioned. The striker has a decent dribbling technique as he manages to hold the ball close to him while dribbling. Even though he is not the most mobile striker, he does well to manoeuvre his way past opponents and storm through. He does not give up and keeps going. He won a penalty by doing this and converted the penalty comfortably. His striking technique is really good.
Defensively, there were some situations in which Simes didn’t participate and was slow to get back into his position in Fordham’s defensive structure.
Rating – A1
Nathan Simes is one of the better players in the team and definitely has the technique and ability to play at a higher level. 90 minutes is not enough to determine his potential, but he should work on his athleticism, mobility and speed in order to reach his potential because the technique is there.
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