Posted7 October 2021, 13:59
Called for the first time to the Brazilian national team, Arthur Cabral was rewarded for his superb start to the season with FC Basel. But what prompted coach Tite to summon the Rhine striker?
Arthur Cabral has already scored 11 Super League goals this season.
Marc Schumacher/freshfocus
20 goals and 6 assists in 17 appearances for FC Basel. Yes, Arthur Cabral’s statistics since the start of the 2021/22 fiscal year are crazy. They are so bad that the Rhine striker is currently participating in the gathering of the Brazilian national team alongside a certain Neymar.
If the selection of the 23-year-old center-forward may come as a surprise given his affiliation to a minor championship, it is not necessarily meaningless. “A lot of people are new to Cabral this season, but he was already good last year. He did not have the same statistics (note: vice-top scorer in the Super League with 18 pawns), but he had to acclimatize, something he has now done well. His convocation with the Seleçao is the result of the last two years, not only because of his current form ”, initially advanced Carlos Varela.
For the former winger at 123 matches in the Basel jersey, the new darling of the Parc Saint-Jacques has an atypical style of play for the Swiss championship. “He’s really a man of the surface, which is not done too much in the Super League. It differs from others especially by its efficiency. To be called up with Brazil, it takes more than just scoring goals. You also have to know how to play with and for others. And these qualities he possesses. On a larger scale, and all things considered, I think it would be closer to a Benzema, ”continued the consultant at blue Sports.
A Super League player selected by the Brazilian national team is more of an anomaly. Before the summons of Arthur Cabral by Tite for the rally in October, the last representative of the Swiss championship to have been called by the Seleçao was named Nelson Dida. The goalkeeper, who later became an icon at AC Milan and world champion with Brazil in 2002, defended the goal of FC Lugano in 1999.
Although sent off during the slap (5-1) suffered by Servette FC against FC Basel on August 8, Vincent Sasso had a front row seat to admire the skills of the Brazilian and to attend his quadruple.
The most complete in the Super League
“He is the most complete player in the championship. He has all the qualities of a modern striker. He is very strong (note: 1m86), good in duels and of the head, and he jumps high. He is also super-dexterous in the box. He also benefits from a very offensive team around him, which puts him in the best conditions to score, ”underlined the garnet central back.
An analysis shared by Anel Husic, holder in the rearguard of Lausanne-Sport during the draw (2-2) obtained against the Rhine a little over a month ago. “I don’t think there is a better striker than him in the Super League, such a powerful and strong player in front of goal. He is the only one that marked me, especially because of his power. With his back to the goal, he knows how to orient himself, keep the ball and turn around quickly. This is why you have to be present from the start of the action because, if he manages to turn around, it’s over for you, ”said the young man of 20 years.
“No more defense is scary: it is the country of Care Bears”
Somewhat impressed at the kickoff, the latter did not let his opponent destabilize him so far. “He had tried to get me out of the match, but I had not entered into his game. He provoked me verbally when we were in the duel, but it was a great challenge because it remained within the framework of the game” , remembered the native of Yverdon.
Weak defenses
According to Vincent Sasso, it is also certainly on the psychological aspect that Arthur Cabral has the greatest room for improvement. “He’s a pretty emotional person. He can quickly get angry with the referee or the opponent when things don’t turn out in his direction. It is on this point that he can work, even if I am convinced that he will succeed in crossing this threshold over time, ”predicted the Servettian.
An opinion shared by Carlos Varela, who expressed some reservations about the Brazilian player. “He is clearly not yet the greatest striker our championship has known. It is only entering its third season. So you still have to see it in times of doubt, even if I don’t think it’s over-revving. We must also put into perspective because the defenses have been much weaker for a few seasons now. There is no longer any defense that does not scare: it is a bit like the country of Care Bears. If there are currently a lot of goals on Swiss lawns, it’s not because the attackers are better, but because the defenses are weak. And it is with certainty that I say it, ”said the 44-year-old Genevan.
We can bet that the Brazilian, if he gets playing time against Venezuela, Colombia and Uruguay, will be keen to prove that he is also capable of shining on the international scene. And that Titus was not mistaken in selecting him.
