Vinicius Junior: La Liga Player WatchPosted by Faircloth Bullard on May 13th, 2021 Profile So convinced were Real Madrid of the talent Vinicius Jos� Paix�o de Oliveira Junior possessed at the age of 17 they signed an agreement to create the youngster to Madrid in July 2018 ? the day he turned 18 and was therefore permitted to leave his native Brazil. Comparisons were immediately made out of compatriot Neymar, who moved to Barcelona at the age of 21, but while Neymar moved to join one of the game?s greats in Lionel Messi, Real signed Vin�cius in the same summer that Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus, and therefore as a potential long-term replacement. A hugely talented and respectable left-sided forward, Vin�cius had a ?30m buyout clause written into his first professional deal with Flamengo and, after making his debut, that buyout clause was risen to ?45m. Real, wary of passing up on another Neymar, coughed up the money to create him to the Bernab�u. Following an understandably slow start given how young he was when he joined one of the biggest clubs on the planet, Vin�cius has grown in importance and influence under Zinedine Zidane. ?I'm delighted for him,? said Zidane. ?We have been seeing some fantastic stuff from him right now. We know how good he can be when he enters space and he is showing that.? Tactical analysis Vin�cius oozes confidence, as well as perhaps unsurprisingly given his Brazilian roots and favoured position as a right-footed, left-sided attacker, flair, flamboyance and dribbling ability are key components to his game. He could be at his most threatening after having received a spread the left flank against an isolated right-back. He tends to try and move infield and on to his favoured right foot, since when goes on the exterior on his left foot, he could be far less effective. The youngster beats defenders regularly, doing so more often than not by pushing the ball past his opponent and quickly accelerating in the direction that he has moved the ball instead of through his manipulation of the ball and quick feet, like Neymar. He can do that to either side effectively and will be smart in how he pushes the ball, often moving it to 1 side of an opponent and then running around another (below), and sometimes even lifting it over a defender before attempting to retain possession on the other hand of these. Such is his confidence he will also regularly try to nudge the ball through an opponent?s legs. He fails generally but there is absolutely no sign that he will not continue to try.
His impressive acceleration means that opponents cannot commit to closing Vin�cius down too tightly if he receives the ball out wide. If he has the opportunity, he'll gladly nudge the ball away from the player closing him down, in to the space they will have vacated and sprint after the ball. Instead, defenders tend to have a more conservative approach and stand off him if he could be facing towards goal, leaving open the chance that he will manage to build-up some momentum as he runs towards the static defender, and may even be more difficult to avoid. It really is no coincidence that Vin�cius wins a lot of free-kicks after being dragged back by a helpless defender.
His movement is incredibly clever and a crucial part of why is him so effective. He shows great awareness both of where space is and how exactly to utilize it: he often uses quick in-to-out movements to draw an opponent towards the ball before spinning out into the space he's got created (below). He isn?t an all natural goal scorer though, and given how frequently he loses his closest marker ? usually a new player in the last type of defence ? with a sharp movement, he will not score enough goals. Often his decision-making when one-on-one with a goalkeeper lets him down.
His short passing and link play isn't an especially strong side to his game, but he does show glimpses of ablity when combining in intricate areas around the edge of the area. If a pass is misplaced, Vin�cius is quick to react and counter-press; a few of his goals in Real Madrid colours attended as a result of a turnover high up the pitch.
Role at Real Madrid
Vin�cius plays almost exclusively on the left side of attack in Zinedine Zidane?s 4-3-3 for Real Madrid, though there were occasions when he's got been paired in a front two alongside Karim Benzema. His role remains consistent whatever the on-paper formation, though, with Benzema staying central and Vin�cius keen to threaten the space in behind the opposition right-back. The right-sided attacker ? usually Marco Asensio or Lucas V�zquez ? will tend to play another role to Vin�cius, playing more of their football in front of or on the outside of their opposition full-back. Vin�cius, however, will give his opponent another problem.
His priority is getting goal side of the full-back, and he could be constantly on the move, looking to try and enter that position. With all this, opponents tend to be cautious with moving too far out of their slot alongside the centre-back, and therefore Vin�cius is often in a position to find space before his opponent by moving towards play. From this position, then tries to isolate his opponent and dribble at them.
To ensure that he remains a threat on the opposition?s goal, Vin�cius is not required to supply the width on Real?s left side. He tends to drift into central areas whenever he is able to, and he will often utilize the run around the outside of left-back Ferland Mendy or Marcelo to generate himself space to cut to his right foot and cross (below).
He will float crosses instead of put curl in it after cutting back on to his right foot, however when he gets them right, they are able to still be extremely dangerous. He often manages to angle his crosses towards the far corner of the target, meaning the goalkeeper will need to intervene if nobody gets an impression on the ball.
안전놀이터 implies the goalkeeper?s weight will shift towards that side because the ball travels, and any deft touch by a teammate attacking the ball can wrongfoot the goalkeeper. Assists have been too little and far between from Vin�cius but he is still refining certain skills which is one area where he continues to improve.
Competition from Eden Hazard, an established left-sided forward who joined Real for a fee of �130m per year after Vin�cius may have threatened the young Brazilian?s development. However, the truth has been far different: Vin�cius has stepped up and become integral while Hazard?s form has nosedived following a terrible run of luck with injuries. While Hazard?s career seems to only be heading in a single direction, Vin�cius? is
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