MillionDollarDream
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- 27 Jun 2013
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Wasn't in the squad at all that played Racing the other day. Anyone know if he's injured?
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Matias Kranevitter
- Thread starter sam-caddick
- Start date
sam-caddick
Well-Known Member
MillionDollarDream said:Wasn't in the squad at all that played Racing the other day. Anyone know if he's injured?
River have the second leg of the first knockout round of the Copa Libertadores this week and it just happens to be the Super Clasico against Boca, the third one in about 10 days as they player the league fixture last weekend as well.
I don't know if he was injured but a lot of Argentine teams field weakened teams in the games prior to Libertadores games so it might explain why.
Larry Stranger
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<a class="postlink" href="http://www.espnfc.com/blog/the-scouts-notebook/78/post/2445245/matias-kranevitter-compares-to-javier-mascherano" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.espnfc.com/blog/the-scouts-n ... mascherano</a>
River star Matias Kranevitter compares to Mascherano, City and Atletico keen
Matias Kranevitter has attracted the attention of a number of European clubs with a series of impressively assured displays at the base of the River Plate midfield. And there are sure to be plenty of interested onlookers this Thursday, when the 21-year-old will be part of the River side hoping to defend their 1-0 advantage over fierce rivals Boca Juniors in order to progress to the last eight of the Copa Libertadores -- South America's Champions League.
Kranevitter is the oldest of six children born to a taxi-driver father and stay-at-home mother in the city of Yerba Buena in Tucuman province. He began working as a golf caddy at the age of 12 to help supplement the family income. Football provided both a release and a potential way out and he took his first steps in the game at San Martin de Tucuman, then at 14 he was spotted by a scout from Buenos-Aires-giants River Plate during a local tournament.
The young midfielder moved to the capital to become one of the many kids from the interior provinces separated from their loved ones, fighting to fulfil their dream and secure a better future for themselves and their family. But he quickly stood out for his competitive nature and the maturity of his play, while he steadily worked his way up through the ranks. In July 2012, he was part of the side who won the under-20 version of the Copa Libertadores in Lima.
His first-team debut followed that December, under the command of interim coach Gustavo Zapata. But competition was tough, with the experienced duo of Cristian Ledesma and Leonardo Ponzio blocking his way to a habitual defensive-midfield berth. Nevertheless, Kranevitter began to receive semi-regular starts during the 2013-14 season, and started nine of the club's 19 matches during their success in the Torneo Final under Ramon Diaz.
Diaz showed faith in Kranevitter but the next coach, Marcelo Gallardo, handed the youngster his full confidence. Gallardo saw Kranevitter as the perfect player to facilitate a switch to a sharper and more vertical style of play, and immediately made him a first-team regular. The midfielder's progress was briefly curtailed by the fractured metatarsal he suffered last September but he has been a near ever-present since the turn of the year.
His first step towards a European move was completed in December, when he successfully applied for an Italian passport. Scouts from Manchester City have watched him in action, while Atletico Madrid, Valencia and Napoli have also been linked. Atletico coach Diego Simeone has an inside track on Kranevitter as his son, Gio, also came up through the ranks at River and is a current teammate of the sought-after midfielder.
Style
Kranevitter is a classic Argentinian No. 5. He patrols the area in front of the defence, wins the ball and then funnels it out to the flanks or upfield to the forwards. It is a role that in many teams is reserved for grizzled veterans, but the 21-year-old plays with such confidence and maturity that his relative inexperience has rarely proved problematic.
As a River-Plate-formed defensive midfielder, comparisons to Javier Mascherano are both inevitable and indeed warranted. But the calm manner in which he distributes from the base of midfield and the angles he picks out for his forward passes are perhaps more reminiscent of Atletico Madrid midfielder Gabi. It therefore comes as little surprise that Simeone is showing such interest in bringing Kranevitter to the Vicente Calderon this summer.
Major Strengths
- efficient distribution
- clean yet determined tackling
- good reader of the game
Major Weaknesses
- lacks outright pace
- does not provide a goal threat of any kind
Assessment Breakdown
Tackling: Rarely dives recklessly into a tackle, instead preferring to position himself to make clean, standing challenges. He has been the fifth-most prolific tackler of all midfielders who have seen at least 270 minutes of action during this year's Copa Libertadores, with 3.55 tackles per 90 minutes, but is yet to pick up a booking. Competitive and persistent.
Marking: He is largely charged with covering space instead of marking a specific opponent, and he does so expertly. Would face more movement in and around him in European football but should be capable of adapting.
Heading: At 5-foot-10 he is not the tallest and is usually reliant on River's aerially dominant centre-backs to step forward to challenge for high balls forward.
Close control: Possesses a good first touch and is capable of manipulating the ball out of tight spaces when required. Does, however, sometimes take a little longer to get the ball under control than is ideal, which could be punished more readily in European football.
Passing: Very efficient in his use of the ball over various distances. Quite often picks out nice angles for forward passes that encourage the receiver to move it on first-time or take a touch past an incoming challenge. His passes rarely lead directly to chances -- indeed, over the last two seasons he has not provided a single assist -- but he plays a key role in moving River forward quickly and purposefully when possession is won.
Positioning: He does almost all of his work in the central third of the pitch. He reads the game very well and positions himself adeptly to make tackles and interceptions. Shows a good understanding of when to move forward to press the ball and when to take a step back and delay his direct opponent. Capable of operating as a single pivot or as one of two, in what Argentinians call a "double 5."
Crossing: Doesn't get forward into positions that are high or wide enough from which to deliver crosses into the area.
Finishing: Kranevitter is yet to score a goal for River at senior level and hardly ever ventures forward into shooting positions. Indeed, over the last two seasons he has attempted just 18 shots on goal in all competitions, at a rate of two for every five matches he has played.
Matias Kranevitter
Kranevitter does not contain an attacking threat, but makes up for it in defence.
What The Experts Say
Buenos Aires-based journalist Daniel Edwards: "Kranevitter harries, unsettles, unbalances and hits hard in the middle of the pitch. He is the model of an Argentina No. 5, the defensive midfielder who shields the defence and also has the responsibility to carry play forward on the ground. His distribution is rarely spectacular, but he almost never fails to find his target, pushing River back up the pitch."
Trivia
Kranevitter's cousin is the Argentinian professional golfer Andres "Pigu" Romero, who finished third at The Open Championship in 2007 and has been a member of the PGA Tour since 2008. He is one of the golfers Kranevitter used to caddy for at the local course in Tucuman.
Conclusion
Kranevitter has been the subject of much media attention but there has been no indication that the plaudits have gone to his head. He shows a good attitude in training -- "He listens a lot and always wants to learn," says his teammate Leonardo Ponzio -- and gives his all every time he goes out onto the pitch.
"Hard work and a determination to succeed are my main virtues," he told Clarin last August. "In every step of my life I have started at the bottom and fought my way to the top."
Europe will be the next step for the 21-year-old and it is tempting to think that Atletico Madrid would represent the best option at this stage of his career. There would be no language barrier to overcome and in Gabi and Tiago he would have two highly accomplished midfielders to guide him through his first season on the old continent and pass on some valuable tricks of the trade.
Before that, he has an important task ahead of him later this week in preventing the likes of Nicolas Lodeiro and Pablo Perez from creating the chances that would allow Boca Juniors to overcome their 1-0 first-leg deficit. He made the decision to delay his move to Europe until the summer to assist River in their Copa Libertadores campaign and will hope to extend the club's run in that competition with a strong performance at the Bombonera on Thursday.
River star Matias Kranevitter compares to Mascherano, City and Atletico keen
Matias Kranevitter has attracted the attention of a number of European clubs with a series of impressively assured displays at the base of the River Plate midfield. And there are sure to be plenty of interested onlookers this Thursday, when the 21-year-old will be part of the River side hoping to defend their 1-0 advantage over fierce rivals Boca Juniors in order to progress to the last eight of the Copa Libertadores -- South America's Champions League.
Kranevitter is the oldest of six children born to a taxi-driver father and stay-at-home mother in the city of Yerba Buena in Tucuman province. He began working as a golf caddy at the age of 12 to help supplement the family income. Football provided both a release and a potential way out and he took his first steps in the game at San Martin de Tucuman, then at 14 he was spotted by a scout from Buenos-Aires-giants River Plate during a local tournament.
The young midfielder moved to the capital to become one of the many kids from the interior provinces separated from their loved ones, fighting to fulfil their dream and secure a better future for themselves and their family. But he quickly stood out for his competitive nature and the maturity of his play, while he steadily worked his way up through the ranks. In July 2012, he was part of the side who won the under-20 version of the Copa Libertadores in Lima.
His first-team debut followed that December, under the command of interim coach Gustavo Zapata. But competition was tough, with the experienced duo of Cristian Ledesma and Leonardo Ponzio blocking his way to a habitual defensive-midfield berth. Nevertheless, Kranevitter began to receive semi-regular starts during the 2013-14 season, and started nine of the club's 19 matches during their success in the Torneo Final under Ramon Diaz.
Diaz showed faith in Kranevitter but the next coach, Marcelo Gallardo, handed the youngster his full confidence. Gallardo saw Kranevitter as the perfect player to facilitate a switch to a sharper and more vertical style of play, and immediately made him a first-team regular. The midfielder's progress was briefly curtailed by the fractured metatarsal he suffered last September but he has been a near ever-present since the turn of the year.
His first step towards a European move was completed in December, when he successfully applied for an Italian passport. Scouts from Manchester City have watched him in action, while Atletico Madrid, Valencia and Napoli have also been linked. Atletico coach Diego Simeone has an inside track on Kranevitter as his son, Gio, also came up through the ranks at River and is a current teammate of the sought-after midfielder.
Style
Kranevitter is a classic Argentinian No. 5. He patrols the area in front of the defence, wins the ball and then funnels it out to the flanks or upfield to the forwards. It is a role that in many teams is reserved for grizzled veterans, but the 21-year-old plays with such confidence and maturity that his relative inexperience has rarely proved problematic.
As a River-Plate-formed defensive midfielder, comparisons to Javier Mascherano are both inevitable and indeed warranted. But the calm manner in which he distributes from the base of midfield and the angles he picks out for his forward passes are perhaps more reminiscent of Atletico Madrid midfielder Gabi. It therefore comes as little surprise that Simeone is showing such interest in bringing Kranevitter to the Vicente Calderon this summer.
Major Strengths
- efficient distribution
- clean yet determined tackling
- good reader of the game
Major Weaknesses
- lacks outright pace
- does not provide a goal threat of any kind
Assessment Breakdown
Tackling: Rarely dives recklessly into a tackle, instead preferring to position himself to make clean, standing challenges. He has been the fifth-most prolific tackler of all midfielders who have seen at least 270 minutes of action during this year's Copa Libertadores, with 3.55 tackles per 90 minutes, but is yet to pick up a booking. Competitive and persistent.
Marking: He is largely charged with covering space instead of marking a specific opponent, and he does so expertly. Would face more movement in and around him in European football but should be capable of adapting.
Heading: At 5-foot-10 he is not the tallest and is usually reliant on River's aerially dominant centre-backs to step forward to challenge for high balls forward.
Close control: Possesses a good first touch and is capable of manipulating the ball out of tight spaces when required. Does, however, sometimes take a little longer to get the ball under control than is ideal, which could be punished more readily in European football.
Passing: Very efficient in his use of the ball over various distances. Quite often picks out nice angles for forward passes that encourage the receiver to move it on first-time or take a touch past an incoming challenge. His passes rarely lead directly to chances -- indeed, over the last two seasons he has not provided a single assist -- but he plays a key role in moving River forward quickly and purposefully when possession is won.
Positioning: He does almost all of his work in the central third of the pitch. He reads the game very well and positions himself adeptly to make tackles and interceptions. Shows a good understanding of when to move forward to press the ball and when to take a step back and delay his direct opponent. Capable of operating as a single pivot or as one of two, in what Argentinians call a "double 5."
Crossing: Doesn't get forward into positions that are high or wide enough from which to deliver crosses into the area.
Finishing: Kranevitter is yet to score a goal for River at senior level and hardly ever ventures forward into shooting positions. Indeed, over the last two seasons he has attempted just 18 shots on goal in all competitions, at a rate of two for every five matches he has played.
Matias Kranevitter
Kranevitter does not contain an attacking threat, but makes up for it in defence.
What The Experts Say
Buenos Aires-based journalist Daniel Edwards: "Kranevitter harries, unsettles, unbalances and hits hard in the middle of the pitch. He is the model of an Argentina No. 5, the defensive midfielder who shields the defence and also has the responsibility to carry play forward on the ground. His distribution is rarely spectacular, but he almost never fails to find his target, pushing River back up the pitch."
Trivia
Kranevitter's cousin is the Argentinian professional golfer Andres "Pigu" Romero, who finished third at The Open Championship in 2007 and has been a member of the PGA Tour since 2008. He is one of the golfers Kranevitter used to caddy for at the local course in Tucuman.
Conclusion
Kranevitter has been the subject of much media attention but there has been no indication that the plaudits have gone to his head. He shows a good attitude in training -- "He listens a lot and always wants to learn," says his teammate Leonardo Ponzio -- and gives his all every time he goes out onto the pitch.
"Hard work and a determination to succeed are my main virtues," he told Clarin last August. "In every step of my life I have started at the bottom and fought my way to the top."
Europe will be the next step for the 21-year-old and it is tempting to think that Atletico Madrid would represent the best option at this stage of his career. There would be no language barrier to overcome and in Gabi and Tiago he would have two highly accomplished midfielders to guide him through his first season on the old continent and pass on some valuable tricks of the trade.
Before that, he has an important task ahead of him later this week in preventing the likes of Nicolas Lodeiro and Pablo Perez from creating the chances that would allow Boca Juniors to overcome their 1-0 first-leg deficit. He made the decision to delay his move to Europe until the summer to assist River in their Copa Libertadores campaign and will hope to extend the club's run in that competition with a strong performance at the Bombonera on Thursday.
City_Sean
Well-Known Member
Unless we were selling Fernando, signing him wouldn't make much sense IMO.
Le Havre Oswald
Well-Known Member
If I saw him in tesco I wouldn't have a clue who he was
sam-caddick
Well-Known Member
SuperBlu said:The next Zuculini
Much better than Zuculini.
Universidad de Chile
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the post, mate. Very good info.Larry Stranger said:http://www.espnfc.com/blog/the-scouts-notebook/78/post/2445245/matias-kranevitter-compares-to-javier-mascherano
River star Matias Kranevitter compares to Mascherano, City and Atletico keen
Matias Kranevitter has attracted the attention of a number of European clubs with a series of impressively assured displays at the base of the River Plate midfield. And there are sure to be plenty of interested onlookers this Thursday, when the 21-year-old will be part of the River side hoping to defend their 1-0 advantage over fierce rivals Boca Juniors in order to progress to the last eight of the Copa Libertadores -- South America's Champions League.
Kranevitter is the oldest of six children born to a taxi-driver father and stay-at-home mother in the city of Yerba Buena in Tucuman province. He began working as a golf caddy at the age of 12 to help supplement the family income. Football provided both a release and a potential way out and he took his first steps in the game at San Martin de Tucuman, then at 14 he was spotted by a scout from Buenos-Aires-giants River Plate during a local tournament.
The young midfielder moved to the capital to become one of the many kids from the interior provinces separated from their loved ones, fighting to fulfil their dream and secure a better future for themselves and their family. But he quickly stood out for his competitive nature and the maturity of his play, while he steadily worked his way up through the ranks. In July 2012, he was part of the side who won the under-20 version of the Copa Libertadores in Lima.
His first-team debut followed that December, under the command of interim coach Gustavo Zapata. But competition was tough, with the experienced duo of Cristian Ledesma and Leonardo Ponzio blocking his way to a habitual defensive-midfield berth. Nevertheless, Kranevitter began to receive semi-regular starts during the 2013-14 season, and started nine of the club's 19 matches during their success in the Torneo Final under Ramon Diaz.
Diaz showed faith in Kranevitter but the next coach, Marcelo Gallardo, handed the youngster his full confidence. Gallardo saw Kranevitter as the perfect player to facilitate a switch to a sharper and more vertical style of play, and immediately made him a first-team regular. The midfielder's progress was briefly curtailed by the fractured metatarsal he suffered last September but he has been a near ever-present since the turn of the year.
His first step towards a European move was completed in December, when he successfully applied for an Italian passport. Scouts from Manchester City have watched him in action, while Atletico Madrid, Valencia and Napoli have also been linked. Atletico coach Diego Simeone has an inside track on Kranevitter as his son, Gio, also came up through the ranks at River and is a current teammate of the sought-after midfielder.
Style
Kranevitter is a classic Argentinian No. 5. He patrols the area in front of the defence, wins the ball and then funnels it out to the flanks or upfield to the forwards. It is a role that in many teams is reserved for grizzled veterans, but the 21-year-old plays with such confidence and maturity that his relative inexperience has rarely proved problematic.
As a River-Plate-formed defensive midfielder, comparisons to Javier Mascherano are both inevitable and indeed warranted. But the calm manner in which he distributes from the base of midfield and the angles he picks out for his forward passes are perhaps more reminiscent of Atletico Madrid midfielder Gabi. It therefore comes as little surprise that Simeone is showing such interest in bringing Kranevitter to the Vicente Calderon this summer.
Major Strengths
- efficient distribution
- clean yet determined tackling
- good reader of the game
Major Weaknesses
- lacks outright pace
- does not provide a goal threat of any kind
Assessment Breakdown
Tackling: Rarely dives recklessly into a tackle, instead preferring to position himself to make clean, standing challenges. He has been the fifth-most prolific tackler of all midfielders who have seen at least 270 minutes of action during this year's Copa Libertadores, with 3.55 tackles per 90 minutes, but is yet to pick up a booking. Competitive and persistent.
Marking: He is largely charged with covering space instead of marking a specific opponent, and he does so expertly. Would face more movement in and around him in European football but should be capable of adapting.
Heading: At 5-foot-10 he is not the tallest and is usually reliant on River's aerially dominant centre-backs to step forward to challenge for high balls forward.
Close control: Possesses a good first touch and is capable of manipulating the ball out of tight spaces when required. Does, however, sometimes take a little longer to get the ball under control than is ideal, which could be punished more readily in European football.
Passing: Very efficient in his use of the ball over various distances. Quite often picks out nice angles for forward passes that encourage the receiver to move it on first-time or take a touch past an incoming challenge. His passes rarely lead directly to chances -- indeed, over the last two seasons he has not provided a single assist -- but he plays a key role in moving River forward quickly and purposefully when possession is won.
Positioning: He does almost all of his work in the central third of the pitch. He reads the game very well and positions himself adeptly to make tackles and interceptions. Shows a good understanding of when to move forward to press the ball and when to take a step back and delay his direct opponent. Capable of operating as a single pivot or as one of two, in what Argentinians call a "double 5."
Crossing: Doesn't get forward into positions that are high or wide enough from which to deliver crosses into the area.
Finishing: Kranevitter is yet to score a goal for River at senior level and hardly ever ventures forward into shooting positions. Indeed, over the last two seasons he has attempted just 18 shots on goal in all competitions, at a rate of two for every five matches he has played.
Matias Kranevitter
Kranevitter does not contain an attacking threat, but makes up for it in defence.
What The Experts Say
Buenos Aires-based journalist Daniel Edwards: "Kranevitter harries, unsettles, unbalances and hits hard in the middle of the pitch. He is the model of an Argentina No. 5, the defensive midfielder who shields the defence and also has the responsibility to carry play forward on the ground. His distribution is rarely spectacular, but he almost never fails to find his target, pushing River back up the pitch."
Trivia
Kranevitter's cousin is the Argentinian professional golfer Andres "Pigu" Romero, who finished third at The Open Championship in 2007 and has been a member of the PGA Tour since 2008. He is one of the golfers Kranevitter used to caddy for at the local course in Tucuman.
Conclusion
Kranevitter has been the subject of much media attention but there has been no indication that the plaudits have gone to his head. He shows a good attitude in training -- "He listens a lot and always wants to learn," says his teammate Leonardo Ponzio -- and gives his all every time he goes out onto the pitch.
"Hard work and a determination to succeed are my main virtues," he told Clarin last August. "In every step of my life I have started at the bottom and fought my way to the top."
Europe will be the next step for the 21-year-old and it is tempting to think that Atletico Madrid would represent the best option at this stage of his career. There would be no language barrier to overcome and in Gabi and Tiago he would have two highly accomplished midfielders to guide him through his first season on the old continent and pass on some valuable tricks of the trade.
Before that, he has an important task ahead of him later this week in preventing the likes of Nicolas Lodeiro and Pablo Perez from creating the chances that would allow Boca Juniors to overcome their 1-0 first-leg deficit. He made the decision to delay his move to Europe until the summer to assist River in their Copa Libertadores campaign and will hope to extend the club's run in that competition with a strong performance at the Bombonera on Thursday.
City_Sean
Well-Known Member
Read before that he's set to join Atletico, but not link up with the squad until december?