In a mixture of sun, wind, and rain, Leça FC and FC Foz met to continue the progress of the Porto Football Association’s Elite Division. In a one-way first half, Diogo Guerra scored first for the “Leceiros” after an attacking move down the left flank. Filipe Mesquita’s team ended up winning the match, albeit with a few upsets. Frank Okenwa made it 2-0 after Juan Muriel travelled down the right flank and crossed into the opponent’s area. Thus, the renewed Leça FC continues its procession to the top of the league table.
Rating:
- 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
Juan Muriel
- Nationality: Colombian
- Age: 21
- Date of Birth: 21/01/2002
- Club: Leça FC
- Career: CDC Atlético Nacional (Y), Valadares Gaia FC and Gil Vicente FC
- Position: Right-Back
- Preferred Foot: Right
Hailing from Colombia and trained at one of the biggest clubs in his home country, CDC Atlético Nacional, Juan Muriel entered Portugal through the doors of Valadares Gaia FC. After a spell in Barcelos, the young right-back landed in Leça da Palmeira and it is there that he has established himself as one of Filipe Mesquita’s cornerstones. Against FC Foz, Juan was one of the best players on the pitch, contributing an assist for the goal that decided the game.
On the offensive end, Juan flew down Leça FC’s right-wing several times. He was a player capable of taking over the game in terms of construction from the back by providing lines of passing from the outside. When he received the ball, he always orientated his body in the direction the team was attacking. In lower areas, he looked for the short, safe, precise, and tense pass, or tried direct combinations with one of the midfielders who assisted him and looked to receive further forward. If through the first situation, he avoided losing possession, through the second he was able to nullify the opposition’s pressure and gain metres behind them. Whenever he moved up the corridor, often through the combinations I mentioned earlier – in other words, passing and attacking the space in front – Juan took advantage of the inside movements of the winger on his side and overloaded the corridor through overlaps or underlaps.
When it came to defending, the Colombian full-back showed that he knew how to master both individual and collective defensive principles: containment, defensive cover, respect for the defensive line, balance, orientation of support according to the covered ball and the uncovered ball. He was also aggressive in one-on-one duels and FC Foz never managed to create anything through his corridor.
Physically, Juan is a morphologically ectomorphic player of medium to tall stature. His long legs allow him to move at a good speed due to the width of his stride. His running speed was also noteworthy, as was his ability to accelerate. His competitive attitude was always impeccable and there were no moments of relaxation or lack of concentration on the part of the Colombian right-back.
Rating – A1
Juan Muriel’s potential is high. He may either make the step up to the professional leagues with Leça FC or get there on his own two feet. He is in a sporting project that values youngsters and gives them a good context in which to develop, as we have seen this season. It is possible that, if he keeps up his work, Juan Muriel will end up playing in Portugal’s second tier at the very least, or even go further.
André Coutinho
- Nationality: Portuguese
- Age: 19
- Date of Birth: 22/02/2004
- Club: Leça FC
- Career: FC Porto (Y), Dragon Force FC (Y), FC Paços de Ferreira (Y), SC Espinho (Y), Padroense FC
- Position: Left-Back
- Preferred Foot: Left
In what is his first year as a senior player, André Coutinho has landed in what is Portugal’s most beautiful land to be one of the most interesting players in the district football of the Porto Football Association.
Against FC Foz, the 19-year-old got involved in the attacking play by supporting the team’s outlet alongside the centre-backs – the width was provided by Zé Domingos, the winger on his side. Midway through the first half, André Coutinho began to break free and make his way up the left flank through his dribbling ability and his success in the attacking 1v1, something that allowed him to step into the final third several times and look for the last pass to those attacking the end zones – Diogo Guerra or Frank Okenwa, for example. He was a player who showed a lot of ability with the ball on his feet and who demonstrated the ability to create attacking moves individually, either through linkups or, as I have already mentioned, through dribbling. In addition, he is a player who has mastered the infamous “toco y me voy” (touch and go) and who, as a result, always gets the timing right when it comes to breaking through the back of the opposition’s defensive line. Juan Muriel’s potential is high. He may either make the step up to the professional leagues with Leça FC or get there on his own two feet. He is in a sporting project that values youngsters and gives them a good context in which to develop, as we have seen this season. It is possible that, if he keeps up his work, Juan Muriel will end up playing in Portugal’s second tier at the very least, or even go further.
In defence, although he did not stand out physically – he is a morphologically mesomorphic player of medium height – he made up for it with his aggression and liveliness in duels. He did not let any go to waste and fought every ball to the end – something that was also evident in his attacking play. He showed the ability to lower his centre of gravity when it came to containment and thus became agile enough to respond to his opponents’ changes of direction. He also respected the collective defensive principles required by coach Filipe Mesquita and was successful in executing them. Despite his average height, he showed good power of movement, which allowed him to contest and win several aerial defensive duels.
André Coutinho’s competitive attitude is irreproachable: he does not pull the plug from the start to the end of the game and never gives anything up for lost – he moves quickly in defence and contests everything in his area. Physically, as I have already mentioned, he is a player of medium height and morphologically mesomorphic. He has a good speed of movement due to the frequency of his stride and he also has good speed on the ball.
Rating – A1
André Coutinho’s potential can be equated with that of Juan Muriel. Both have qualities in their player profiles that could take them to the heights of professional football. And the question, whether with one or the other, is the same: will it be at Leça FC or another club?
Target Scouting 