The F.C. Barcelona has made the incorporation of Vitor Roque official. We don’t know when he will wear the Barça shirt, but we do know that the club will ensure one of the most promising players in South American football. A very interesting footballer from a tactical level. Here is my analysis of what it can contribute:
The first thing to note is that he is a pure striker with the soul of nine. A footballer who always looks at the goal. He is not very tall (172 centimeters) but he is strong in the lower body. From the way he plays, he is also very adaptable to either band. And it is that his range of action is a central part but covers a lot of field. So, starting from the side isn’t a huge limitation to his play. This is also demonstrated by his positional map of the Brasileiro Serie A of 2023 (@sofascore):
It’s super upright. Everything he does, he does thinking about the rival goal. When he controls from behind, he performs a spin that allows him to focus on the opposing goal. When he has two passing options, he chooses the one that goes forward and, above all, the one that allows him to associate on the wall with a teammate who can return the ball to him. In his gameplay, the opposite arc is his main goal.
Without a doubt, one of his best virtues and a factor that is very difficult to find in an attacker. He is tireless offering solutions to his teammates when the team has the ball. Especially in breaking uncheck as well as in ‘generous’ movements. The ones he has a low chance to receive but that clear spaces. And that is very important for Barça’s game. In the first place because it stretches the distance between the lines between the defense and the rival midfield (more facilities for the midfielders to receive) and, on the other hand, because the current Barça does not have players who go into space as their first option.
A maneuver that defines him is driving. He pulls on her a lot. It is his first resource to start the play when the team contacts him. Sometimes it even goes too far. Largely because he’s so good at it. He has the ability to carry the ball fast and quite close to the foot. He lacks some finesse in the links but not when he drives the ball he loses few balls in driving.
Another very marked and very valuable characteristic of Vitor Roque is his ability to press very well and very intensely in the rival field. He is supportive and generous to jump pressure. In addition, his electricity favors maneuvers to reduce spaces quickly and recover high. And if the rival has the ability to get out of the first collective pressure, he does not hesitate to withdraw and also seeks to have the ball again. In short, he is a footballer who is very committed defensively and very effective.
It costs him nothing to arm his leg to shoot. Even though he can also finish with the non-skilled leg (left), he has a clear preference to finish with the right. In fact, he finishes 95% of his actions with his right leg. Be that as it may, he is very agile in his movements and takes advantage of it.
One of the points in which it has a lot of potential for improvement is in the management of playing times. It always plays at a single speed and it is always at maximum speed. But football requires actions in which it is necessary to slow down. And to this day, Vitor Roque does not do it, quite the opposite: he always plays with high voltage. Something that is reflected in his passing rate and, above all, in his dribbling percentage. And it is that only 46% of his dribbles are productive.
Nobody expects the typical Brazilian soccer player with high quality dribbling or dazzling actions. Of course, it has a sufficient technical level to cut or make quality gestures. But he is not an association player. A point that, in the context, Barça will have to improve. As he also has an improvement path in the last auction. It is not yet (but it can be) a first sword converting the chances. Only 39% of his shots hit the goal.
