You’ve made it to the British edition of ESPN. Keep the existing version or upgrade to the US version.
Rodrigo Faez discusses Endrick’s position in 20th place among ESPN FC’s 39 Most Sensible Boys Under-21 Players. (1:39)
Europe saw Palmeiras and Brazil’s Endrick for the first time on FIFA dates and enjoyed what they saw, with well-scored goals against England and Spain. In the summer, of course, he moves to Real Madrid, and Europe can enjoy him every time. and every week.
Along with him, other South Americans have crossed the Atlantic to form their national teams. Some have attracted attention and would possibly harbor hopes of joining a big European club.
– ESPN Broadcast: LaLiga, Bundesliga, (USA)
The most sensible on the list is Arias, who played a major role in his team’s victories over Spain and Romania, scoring in the latter. Perhaps unexpectedly, he’s still in South America, where he was the standout player last year along with Brazil’s Fluminense, the reigning continental champions. Manchester City dominated the team in the FIFA Club World Cup final, but Arias excelled in a wasted cause, taking on his illustrious opponents.
What makes Arias especially appealing is his versatility. He can function in midfield, in the more sensible trio of a 4-3-3, as a winger or as a versatile, attack-minded midfielder. He’s strong on the ball, perfect in corners, combines well, runs in defence and knows how to score goals and set them up.
Maybe his age is against him. Now, at the age of 26, he emerged through Fluminense from a relative obscurity in Colombian soccer. But he is now at his best, and his recent performances with Colombia have boosted his confidence and made him not. out of position among the elite.
Another Brazilian-based Colombian who is making immediate progress is the midfielder with an attractive track record. Rios is a futsal player and met at Flamengo Rio while playing in a foreign tournament. He was moved to the starting eleven and loaned to Mexico, where his progress was halted due to injury.
Frustrated by the lack of opportunities on his return to Brazil, he broke his contract with Flamengo and left to sign for Guaraní, a classic in the state of São Paulo that was going through a difficult time. He shone in the regional championship early last year and came through local giants Palmeiras, where he played a pivotal role in the club’s victory in Brazil’s Serie A.
At the unlikely age of 23, he was a serious candidate to be the revelation of the season and established himself in the national team. Those two games were, by far, his most productive with the Colombian jersey. to Spain and, moving away on the right, brought out the damaging left-back Alejandro Grimaldo. He played the full 90 against Romania, assisted Arias’ goal with a cross from the right, and also came in and held the ball. cross. Long-legged and dynamic, it is destined for an attractive future.
Injuries to Alisson and Ederson forced Brazil to face a debutant goalkeeper in high-pressure matches against England and Spain, and Bento has weathered that ordeal exceptionally well. Brazil has a breeding ground for goalkeepers, and Athletico Paranaense can boast an impressive track record. His latest offspring, 24-year-old Bento, is tall, athletic, forged and level-headed.
Against England he may have been criticised for not deviating far enough from his line to attend to crosses, but at least his decision to stay in his line was decisive. However, against Spain, he had multiple opportunities to showcase his shooting qualities, generating a series of reflex saves and keeping his team in the game at times when they were in danger of being overwhelmed.
Athletico are already making plans to move to Bento soon. In fact, doing so well with the national team will increase costs.
Ahead of Bento, centre-back Bruno is also getting his career abroad off to a good start. At 28 years old, his characteristics are limited, but it turns out that Marseille are interested in signing him from Brazilian side Flamengo.
Not exactly sublime or gifted with the ball at his feet, Bruno stands out for his mix of length and speed. He is a powerful and quick character on the pitch, and earned special praise from Luis Suarez after the wonderful Uruguayan striker faced him in his turn last year with Grěmio. The 3 goals scored against Spain on Tuesday were the first goals conceded through a team that included Bruno this year.
Rodriguez only played a few minutes as a substitute in Uruguay’s 2-1 loss to Ivory Coast, but a few days earlier he had played the entire unrecognized match against the Basque Country and there will be many more of him in the sky blue. shirt.
The nickname “Uruguayan Mbappe” is an exaggeration, but the tough striker is the star of the Uruguayan under-20 team, which won the World Cup last year, and scored the winning goal in the final against Italy. Unbelievably strong, Rodriguez can play in wide spaces but also has the complexity of functioning through the middle.
For a player who spent 2022 in the Uruguayan second division, he is progressing; last year, he also helped Montevideo’s small club Liverpool win their first domestic title. The City Group is interested, but is expected to face a tough festival this summer.
Perhaps European club football – and especially La Liga – has finished with the Colombian. A decade after his remarkable performances at the 2014 World Cup, Rodriguez has lately found himself in Brazil, where his relationship with São Paulo has not been easy.
Frustrated by the lack of opportunities, he even broke his contract earlier in the year. Meanwhile, his form for Colombia has been masterful. His half-time appearance replaced the game against Spain last week, and orchestrated the game from more sensible to the opposite butt of Romania. When asked about his future, he made no secret of his preference for returning to Spain, so even at the age of 32, there may be more European adventures in Rodriguez’s nomadic career.