Robinho Jr. impresses at Santos, Vojvoda cautious on starting role | OneFootball

Last Sunday, Santos secured a 1-1 draw against Fortaleza at Vila Belmiro, during the 31st round of the Brazilian Championship. The match was marked by the return of Neymar and the entry of Robinho Júnior. Both 'ignited' the game and made a difference for Peixe.

The entry of Robinho Jr. represented a progression for the 17-year-old. The youngster had the opportunity to play 45 minutes for the first time in Santos' professional team. Including stoppage time, the forward was on the field for 50 minutes, his longest playtime so far.

Previously, Robinho Jr.'s longest playtime in the professional team had been in the defeat to Vitória, when he was given about 21 minutes on the field. Besides spending more time on the field against Fortaleza, the winger was, once again, one of the positive highlights for Peixe.

Robinho Jr. was brought on at halftime, replacing Barreal, and played as a winger on the right side. According to statistics from the Sofascore platform, the youngster had one shot on goal, contributed with a key pass, and completed 87% of his attempted passes.

Peixe's number 7 also had 32 actions with the ball, completed all five dribbles he attempted, suffered one foul, and lost possession ten times. He also recorded one interception and won six out of eight ground duels.

Robinho Jr.'s performances have impressed Santos fans, who have already started calling for the youngster to be in the starting lineup. Coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda praised the forward's performance against Fortaleza but tempered the fans' excitement in a press conference.

Vojvoda tempers excitement over starting lineup requests

Vojvoda was asked about his view on Robinho Jr.'s development and highlighted the attacker's personality, but he remains cautious about the young player's potential starting role at this time. Despite the fans' requests, the coach still believes the player needs to show greater consistency.

“What Robinho has to show me is what he showed in the second half. He played more than 50 minutes and responded. That's a professional football player, right? A youth player, but when he wants to enter the professional level, where football is really played, he has to demonstrate on the field what he showed today. As he starts doing that, the doors will be open in the starting team. I want the team to win, with players with this kind of quality and personality that he showed. But he has to keep evolving, he can't get confused,” analyzed the coach.

Vojvoda also mentioned that Robinho Jr. has only been tested in the final 45 minutes of games and explained that, in his view, this makes a difference.

“The first half is different from the second. The first halves are very contested, fought over, the legs of both teams are very balanced. But I recognize that he came on in the second half, played a good match, and has to maintain that, not settle for it. He has to demonstrate and demand, as the coach said: ‘Coach, I'm ready. Why am I ready? Because every time I come on, I show that I'm ready.’ This is demonstrated with performance, effectiveness, assists, and goals. That's how it's also demonstrated,” concluded the Argentine.

Robinho Jr. thus continues to pursue his first starting role in Santos' professional team. In total, the youngster has played eight matches with the senior team but has yet to contribute with goals or assists.

Santos' position in the standings

With the point gained against Fortaleza, Santos is in 16th place, with 33 points. Peixe could have opened a four-point lead from the relegation zone but did not take advantage of the opportunity. Now, the Santos team is only two points ahead of Vitória, which opens the Z4.

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.