Santos player ratings: Brazão to blame, but youngsters stand out | OneFootball

Santos were beaten 1-0 away by Deportivo Cuenca of Ecuador last Wednesday in the opening round of the Copa Sudamericana. Gabriel Brazão was the night’s main villain after making a mistake on the Ecuadorian side’s goal, but names like Rony and Moisés also disappointed. On the other hand, Santos’ youth players came away positively, with Bontempo, Gustavinho and Rafael Gonzaga standing out.

Gabriel Brazão had a very poor moment on Deportivo Cuenca’s goal. He was not tested much throughout the match, but when Santos needed him, he fell short. He failed to pay attention to a quick corner and ended up conceding an Olimpico goal at the near post. He was slow to react and, by the time he realized it, the ball was already in the net.

Rony also had a bad game. The forward returned to the starting lineup after serving a suspension and was heavily involved down the flanks, especially on the right, but made too many poor decisions. One example came when he got the ball on a counterattack and, instead of passing to a teammate in a better position, drove into the box and shot straight at the defender. On top of that, on the goal, he was responsible for marking the near post but failed to do so. A very poor performance.

Moisés, meanwhile, was another player who fell short. Like Rony, the forward made a lot of poor decisions and got almost everything wrong that he tried, in addition to failing to take on his marker one-on-one. Defensively, he also contributed very little. It was no surprise that he was substituted at halftime and replaced by Rollheiser.

Santos youth players stand out

On the other hand, Rafael Gonzaga was one of Santos’ pleasant surprises. The young full-back made his debut in a reasonably favorable setting and did not feel the pressure. He had the freedom to play further forward and found space on the left flank, completing good passes and creating dangerous moves from crosses. At times, he even took set pieces, and defensively he did not put a foot wrong.

Bontempo was also one of Peixe’s standout performers in the match. The youngster played as a playmaking midfielder and took on a leading role in the team’s midfield, constantly getting forward and making himself available. He completed important passes and got shots away like a classic No. 10. The only thing missing was a bit more precision in front of goal, but he had a great game.

Finally, Gustavinho also stood out. The youngster was deployed out of position at right-back and rose to the challenge. Defensively, he looked solid and was extremely important in tracking back against Deportivo Cuenca’s quick attacks. Going forward, he did not get up the field as often, but he nearly left the pitch with an assist after a good run to the byline and a cutback that Rollheiser wasted.

Standings situation

With the result, Santos begin their Copa Sudamericana campaign at the bottom of Group D. Peixe start the competition with no points, behind San Lorenzo of Argentina (second) and Deportivo Recoleta of Paraguay (third), who drew in the group’s other match on Wednesday.

Santos’ next matches

Santos vs Atlético-MG (11th round of the Brasileirão) Date and time: 04/11 (Saturday), 8 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Vila Belmiro, in Santos (SP)

Santos vs Deportivo Recoleta-PAR (second round of the Copa Sudamericana) Date and time: 04/14 (Tuesday), 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Vila Belmiro, in Santos (SP)

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