Technical analysis of Rafael Cavalcante de Almeida

Rafael Cavalcante de Almeida (April 18, 2002) is a 19-year-old Brazilian player who has played for Gama Df, Luziania Go, Balaguer and, currently, Castellserà (Spain). Rafinha’ plays mainly in the position of defensive midfielder. However, due to his versatility, he can adopt other positions at the back, such as central defender or right back.

One of his main defensive virtues is anticipation. Rafa has a very good reading of the game, so he foresees the play that is going to happen and anticipates the opponents. This fact allows him to constantly recover balls in three quarters of the field throughout the match.
Likewise, he is a player who stands out for his positioning both in attack and defense. Focusing on defense in these first lines of analysis, Rafael tends to be positioned in the right place at the right time. This ideal positioning helps him in two essential aspects of the game. On the one hand, coverages. And, on the other, crosses. As for covering, Cavalcante usually positions himself behind the teammate the opponents are facing. So if he is overtaken, ‘Rafinha’ will come to the aid. As far as crosses are concerned, his correct positioning makes it easy for him to cross well, another of his most important characteristics.
Finally, regarding the defensive analysis, Rafael, despite not being a very tall player, as he is 1.77 cm tall, has a good aerial game. He has a good timing to jump at the right moment and win the duel against taller opponents.
In addition, it is worth mentioning his repeated commitment in the matches, as he is a player who lives the matches and puts the maximum intensity in every game.

In the offensive aspect, ‘Rafinha’ has a good ball conduction that allows him to overcome the opponent’s first line of defense. Once past the first line of defense, this young player shows one of his greatest strengths: his vision. He often filters balls between the opposing winger and inside player, which helps to create superiority for his team. Even so, when this pass is not clear, playing with his head up without looking at the ball makes it easier for him to find his unmarked teammate. Also, at this point, it should be emphasized that Rafa stands out for his long passes. Normally, he makes them from his position to the flanks, both to wingers and wingers, but sometimes he tries to assist behind the back of the opposing defense.
On the other hand, before receiving the ball from his teammates, the Brazilian looks to both sides, in order to analyze the environment and see where to make the first control. However, if he makes a bad decision, he is able to play well with his body to hide the ball, protect it and not lose it.
As we mentioned above, he also has an appropriate positioning when coming out of pressure, as he always gives a passing line to his teammates and creates triangles. On the one hand, he generates these triangles when he is positioned in front of the central defenders, but also when the ball is in the hands of the fullback and he approaches him, thus creating the fullback-midfielder-fullback triangle.
To conclude, he is a pivot who has a quite remarkable second line arrival. That is, he reads well when it is necessary to join the attack, which allows the team to have more effective players. On this point, it should be noted that he has a good long-range shot

News: Antonio Altisent