Vasco start Marino Hinestroza, forward tries to beat anxiety | OneFootball

The most expensive signing of the current season has yet to deliver the expected technical return on the pitch. Forward Marino Hinestroza was bought by Vasco for around R$ 30 million, immediately becoming one of the five biggest investments in the entire history of the Rio club. Heavily pursued by giants of the Brazilian and South American market in the last transfer window, the highly coveted player arrived with high status but has put together very underwhelming performances so far.

Internally, the professionals in the sporting department quickly identified that the player’s initial management was handled quite poorly. Signed while far from his ideal physical condition, the quick Colombian showed enormous difficulty keeping up with the demanding methodology imposed by Fernando Diniz in the opening months of 2026. Even without being fully cleared by the medical staff, the winger ended up being used prematurely and felt the heavy toll of official matches.

+ Physical mistakes and pressure drag down Marino’s performances at Vasco

Anxiety and fitness issues hurt new signing’s performances at Vasco

The severe lack of match rhythm has led to a serious confidence problem, something that becomes completely evident whenever the number eleven gets the ball out wide. Internal tactical assessments indicate that the winger tries to force decisive plays too quickly in order to justify the money invested in his multimillion-dollar signing. This constant rush has resulted in a dangerous number of mistakes, far removed from the exciting football he showed during his spell at Atlético Nacional last year.

Despite the natural impatience openly shown in the stands, Vasco’s board has completely ruled out the possibility of negotiating the player and abandoning the sporting project now. The club’s intelligence department believes that giving up an asset of this financial magnitude would represent an irrecoverable corporate mistake in the medium term.

Coaching staff prepare Colombian player for decisive clash

Handling the crisis now falls directly into the experienced hands of current head coach Renato Gaúcho. The new manager must strategically decide whether to shield the player, using him only in favorable situations, or to maintain constant exposure in order to force accelerated development. Vasco’s main tactical objective is to rebuild the youngster’s psychological side without harming the collective system.

The likely chance for redemption will come on Wednesday night (06), in the hugely important Copa Sudamericana clash. The forward is in the squad and has a real chance of starting against Audax Italiano. A place in Vasco’s starting lineup symbolizes the ideal opportunity for the player to show the much-demanded technical improvement and prove his value for the season.

Marino Hinestroza should get another chance — Photo: Alexandre Durão

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