The protection of João Félix

PreviousLive Chronicle

“Next season João and ten more”, proclaimed Diego Pablo Simeone convinced after detecting in the last stretch of the course that the player he was looking for was emerging, but whom he was also able to spoil on several occasions due to his insistence on removing him from position.

Somehow they have convinced each other after some episodes that generated strong internal tensions in the locker room and in the club.

GETGetafe

0

David Soria, Djene, Domingos Duarte, Fabricio Angileri, Mitrovic, Juan Iglesias, Aleñá (Portu, min. 57), Arambarri, Maksimovic (Jaime Seoane, min. 62), Enes Ünal (Mata, min. 80) and Mayoral (Moi Vine, minute 80)

ATM Athletic

3

Oblak, Savic, Reinildo Mandava, Saúl (Carrasco, min. 61), Nahuel Molina, Witsel, Koke, Lemar (Griezmann, min. 61), Marcos Llorente (De Paul, min. 61), João Félix (Correa, min. 82) and Morata (Matheus Cunha, min. 82)

Goals

0-1 min.

14: Bruise.

0-2 min.

58: Morata.

0-3 min.

74: Griezmann.

Referee

Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez

Yellow cards Enes Ünal (min. 18), Aleñá (min. 54) and Carrasco (min. 89)

Cholo aspired to the footballer who was seen on Monday in Getafe, connected to the game in defense and attack, regardless of whether he touched more or less balls.

João Félix cried out for the freedom that he now has to act on the part of the attack front that he deems appropriate.

He gave three assists and did not crown his performance with a goal because David Soria beat him one-on-one with his chest to avoid the intentional

what he tried

“He looks more mature and stronger, he showed it in the 14 finals last season.

He is growing and has a weighty maturity.

He saw himself in the first goal and in the second with his passes.

He is in the best moment of his career, ”said Simeone in the press room at the Alfonso Pérez Coliseum.

The great satisfaction of the coach is to see that João Félix has absorbed the need to try to be effective in each action without having to be in permanent contact with the ball.

The weight of his football has also permeated the respect of his teammates, convinced, now, that he should be a fundamental part of the team's offense.

He's not a leader in the dugout, but on the field no one disputes his rank as a breakout player.

“He has talent, he sees more than the others, he has a goal and hopefully he can sustain everything that is being said about him on the pitch”, added the coach, cautious about whether this could be the year in which João Félix signs a round season : “You don't have to force anything.

Things come naturally and he has worked to get to this situation," Simeone warned.

The great fear of the coach, the club and his teammates is the rough play that the Portuguese sometimes suffers.

There is an internal slogan for the group to demand collectively from the referees that they do not cut the excess of vigor in the marks they receive.

Especially in entries that expose his right ankle and instep, after the problems he suffered in both areas due to edema.

João Félix was also warned by his coach so that, when he goes down to the center of the field and receives from behind, he unloads the quick pass.

To prevent him from hanging too low in the center of the field, Cholo has also designed some movements so that he receives long from the central defenders.

There is an orchestrated and joint protection so that the star of the team finds an ecosystem that allows him to exploit his virtues.

For the first time, they can go in a

for what is supposed to be the most expensive investment in the club's history (126 million euros) with the coach's commitment to the player and his coupling to what is required of him individually and collectively.

Griezmann, substitute

João Félix's ascendancy right now over the team's game is such that at the start of the season in which the competition up front is fiercer, he has earned the most uncontested position alongside Morata.

In Getafe Griezmann, Correa and Cunha stayed on the bench.

The latter was visualized by Simeone as the team's nine for this season, but Morata's attitude and form have relegated him.

The partnership that the Madrid attacker has set up with the Portuguese has developed so forcefully that Griezmann, one of the coach's right eyes, now competes more with Lemar for being the third midfielder than with João Félix for acting as the second striker.

Griezmann has always defended that he plays better behind a reference nine [Giroud, in France] like Morata, but that position, for the moment,

now it is for the Portuguese.

Although Simeone knows that there will be a stretch of the season in which the Frenchman will break into the eleven to stay.

You can follow EL PAÍS Deportes on