Alonso Coello vs NYCFC - Match Report
Toronto FC 1 - 0 NYCFC | MLS 2023 | Written on February 18, 2024
Player Information
Name: Alonso Coello
Club: Toronto FC
Nationality: Spain
Age: 24 (Born 1999)
Position in match: Centre-midfielder (centre)
Preferred foot: Right
Height: 1.85m
Match Stats (via FotMob):
Minutes played: 90
Touches: 90
Passes: 67/75
Pass Accuracy: 89%
Passes Into Final Third: 11
Long Balls Completed: 6/10
Tackles Won: 5/6
Match Summary:
Slow match, both teams unable to create much going forward - lots of sideways passing
Both teams tried to create 1v1 situations in wide areas but were let down by the quality of the players involved in those moments
Final ball/separation creation for shot was poor from both teams on the day, TFC’s goal accounted for over 50% of their xG
Both teams switched between passive/agressive pressing, no real structure/triggers to it
Player Analysis:
Technical:
Technical security stands out right away - seemingly a level above most players on the pitch in this regard
90 touches the most for TFC on the day, even more than Insigne and Bernardeschi
First touch out of feet, does not kill the ball dead
whether receiving with back to goal, facing goal, or on the half turn
Only received ground passes this game - his aerial touch was not tested
‘Pass-first’ tendency - has a great passing range and is able to execute a variety of passes
Great lofted long ball
Good weight of pass on all types of passes (except a few that went astray with his left foot)
Showed great technical empathy in his passes - passes going to correct foot, not slowing down teammates’ runs, not difficult to control
Couple solid line-breaking passes
Likes to play in 1-2 touches if possible
Hardly ever carries in settled possession, only carried once (transitional situation)
had his head up, taking long/slow strides - looking to progress ball via pass as fast as possible
Clearly favours his right foot, not so much of an issue in this game as he had a lot of time on the ball
Wide turn radius on the ball when back is turned fully to goal
When opponent is backing into him (holding ball up), long legs allow him to occasionally reach past opponent and win ball back/interrupt opponent’s play
Tactical:
Constantly scanning - processes information well, scans both sides, paints picture of field in his head
allows him to have a good understanding of tempo - understanding when there is pressure (ball has to move quick) or when he has time on the ball (slow down, find the right pass)
Scans in defensive situations to ‘calibrate’ himself on the pitch, ensuring cover shadow is being used effectively (especially when ball is out wide)
‘Traffic director’ role (like Busquets) - slows/speeds up attack, always directing teammates/helping them out with regards to where their next move could be - shows game IQ + fast info processing, knows next move before he even receives a pass/plays a pass
When TFC have ball in final third he is the ‘reset’ option, his wide passing range is used in these scenarios to switch the point of attack, which he does well (scans, receives, passes)
constantly seen shifting ball side in third phase to execute this role better
Forms triangle with 2 CBs in first+second phases of build-up
angle creation could be better here - in general too when defenders have ball he could do better to give a progressive option BTL (for the CBs) or a diagonal passing lane (for FBs)
likes to receive between opponent’s forward + midfield line
Good understanding of opponent movement/pressure, allows him to play ‘director’ role
Awareness (due to scanning) also applies to his OOP game
When opponent is building up, he does a good job of reading the potential line-breaking/progressive passes - he ensures that he is there early and often (often shadowing opposition’s 10) - is not 100% consistent with this however, he is occasionally more reactive than proactive
Usually starting from a deeper position (IP) helps him execute this role well as he can see all the opponent’s options in front of him but it ensures that he is never caught ahead of the ball (which would force him to chase the ball)
Defensive intensity when ball passes him could be better, occasionally looks lethargic/slow when tracking back
occasionally gets beat by third man runs (lack of pace), the ‘earlier’ he is on the press, the better - that way the passes won’t even be played in his direction and he does not get caught in no man’s land (when player he is closing down receives ball and his momentum is still taking him towards the ball)
Physical:
Lanky build (6 foot tall)
Clear lack of pace (Busquets-esque), occasionally struggles to cover large spaces in small amounts of time
slow, long strides when running
Good leap
Psychological:
Confidence in possession, clearly trusted by coach + teammates (shown in volume of touches)
trusts himself to play line-breaking passes / long switches of play
Has to demand ball more often, especially when presenting a progressive option to his teammates - sometimes gets overlooked despite being in good positions (could be down to quality of teammates but also he is passively asking for the ball)
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