Souza seizes new chance, heats up Santos battle for left-back spot | OneFootball

Although they were defeated by Vitória last Monday, not everything should be discarded by Santos. The young Souza, for example, took advantage of the new opportunity when he entered the field in the second half and intensified the competition for the left-back position at Peixe.

Escobar started the match as a starter but made a passing error during the ball exit, returning the ball to Vitória in the play where Brazão committed a penalty on Renzo Lopez. With Santos trailing on the scoreboard, coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda opted to bring Souza in at left-back during halftime.

With 45 minutes on the field, Souza seized the new opportunity. According to Sofascore data, the young player contributed to the attack with a shot on goal and a decisive pass. He also completed 85% of the passes he attempted but succeeded in only one out of nine crosses.

In defense, the Menino da Vila also held his ground. The youngster wasn't dribbled past, made two clearances, and won two out of three ground duels, as well as four out of five aerial duels. In total, he had 53 actions with the ball.

For comparison, starter Escobar, in the same 45 minutes, completed one tackle, one clearance, and won two out of six ground duels. The Argentine was dribbled past once and had a 76% pass accuracy, totaling 29 actions with the ball. The numbers are also from Sofascore. He was also cautioned with a yellow card.

How Vojvoda Sees the Competition

Souza was even a request from the fans to Vojvoda after the disappointing first half against Vitória. The coach has also been questioned in a press conference about the competition for the left-back position and said he sees the competition between the two full-backs as “very fair.”

“The competition between Escobar and Souza is very fair. I like this type of competition. On the left-back, they are players with similar characteristics, but one has something and the other has another. Souza is very young, has the desire to grow, and can come in and replace Escobar smoothly,” analyzed the coach after the match against Corinthians.

After the match against Vitória last Sunday, the coach responded again about the subject and approved Souza's performance but made it clear that the final decision is up to the technical staff.

“When the team loses, the fans will always ask for the player who isn't playing. Souza played and responded. He played against Red Bull Bragantino, today he played 45 minutes. Escobar wasn't playing badly. These are decisions I have to make, the coach's decisions,” stated the commander.

Souza started the season as Escobar's backup but took the starting position with the arrival of Cléber Xavier. With Vojvoda, however, the Argentine returned to the starting lineup, and the young player began to get chances in the second half, responding well in most of them. It remains to be seen if he will manage to reclaim his spot in the starting 11.

Souza's Numbers This Season

Escobar's Numbers This Season

Santos' Standings Situation

Juan Pablo Vojvoda's team remains in 16th place, with 31 points – the same amount as Vitória, which opens the relegation zone. Despite having one game less, Peixe will not have an easy time and will need to accumulate points in the final stretch of the Brasileirão to avoid relegation for the second time.

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