The day it was confirmed departure of Yannick Carrasco to Saudi Al-Shabab, no one missed his goodbye in the red and white locker room. The Belgian was a player who had earned the respect of teammates and fans. He had even overcome Simeone’s own doubts and skepticism when he placed him on the wing as a full-back in his bet on the 5-3-2. Cholo had no faith in him when it came to retreating, but Carrasco ended up becoming the most offensive alternative on the wing of all the wingers he had with the new scheme.
Carrasco, a sung exit
However, Carrasco did not finish taking root in the locker room, leaving gestures that cooled his relationship with coaches and teammates. High-sounding statements about Simeone’s defensive character when he went to Belgium to play with his national team, or suggestions about a possible departure to other clubs when he was not going through his best moment as a red and white player, turned him into a footballer without a position in the squad. Someone with whom the fans could not fully identify, beyond his sporting performance. Something that Simeone always praised in Carrasco.
His departure in February 2018 to Chinese club Dalian Yifang left the fans indifferent, who were also not surprised that last summer the Belgian pressured Barcelona to exercise a transfer option of 18 million that they had to acquire his services. Xavi gave up and in the end Carrasco left for Saudi Arabia, confirming an announced departure for a player who was never comfortable in red and white. But His sporting departure was a notable loss, although Simeone had been simmering for months on the bet of the players who would replace him: Samu Lino and Roro Riquelme.
Lino, the ‘military’ at Mestalla
Lino arrived at Atlético after showing himself as a very vertical player at Gil Vicente in Portugal, where Jorge Mendes makes and breaks with the connivance of his friend, and partner they say, Miguel Ángel Gil. Mendes, who is also part of the Meriton network, took Lino to do his military service for Valencia. And the player cut his teeth in a complicated environment where he demonstrated personality and approach. Simeone watched him from a distance and liked what he saw. To the point that this summer, when the preseason arrived, they gave him prominence to make him their left-footed winger to replace Carrasco. AND Lino not only appreciated it, the Brazilian exploded, becoming one of the best players at the start of the League along with Bellingham.
Lino has participated in 12 games with Atlético, generating 7 goals. Three goals scored by him, two in the League and one in the Champions League, and another four in the form of an assist coming from the left. Lino has caused 13 fouls, generated 18 dribbles and caused four cards. He has shot on goal 11 times, of which 8 were between the three sticks. A player with overflow and arrival who was decisive in the derby in which Atlético beat Madrid (3-1) at the Metropolitano. Four minutes later, a pass from him was finished off by Morata into the net, marking the first goal. And then he didn’t stop going up the wing, giving a lot of problems to Lucas Vázquez who couldn’t stop him at any time.
Riquelme, talent overflowing the lane
If Lino is speed and verticality, Rodrigo Riquelme is talent and imbalance. The youth player was another of the red and white players who did his ‘military’ outside. He first went to England, to Bournemouth, where he played twenty games when he was barely 20 years old. Then in Miranda de Ebro he showed that the Segunda was too small for him, scoring five goals and distributing 12 assists in the 38 games he played with the rojillos.
And last year, in Girona, he dazzled in the Catalans’ debut in Primera after his return many decades later. ‘Roro’ became the different player in the midfield groups, with Oriol Romeu and Aleix García behind him. He started from the left to, on a changed foot, draw inward diagonals that always ended in an assist or a shot. Riquelme confirmed all the good things he had shown in the Atlético youth academy and in the youth teams of the national team, scoring five goals, giving four assists and taking the team on board.
Something that convinced Simeone to recruit him for Atlético this year. A player profile that he did not have, because he was different and talented, but that hardly fit the winger role that Cholo was looking for to replace Carrasco’s departure.
However, Riquelme has taken advantage of his opportunity, confirming that at 23 years old he has enough personality and charisma to assume the responsibility that Simeone asks of him. He has already made his senior debut and has two goals and an assist with the Atlético jersey. Far from becoming a problem due to a lack of players with that profile, Atlético’s left lane is, today, one of the surprises of this league with Lino and Riquelme recycled into that profile to give Atlético overflow and associative power.
Simeone is delighted, not only because the team has not suffered from Carrasco’s absence, but also because he has found competition in that position between Samu and ‘Roro’, which has boosted the performance of both and the productivity of that lane. for the team. Now Cholo only has to choose: the dagger or the foil? Lino or Riquelme?
Today (9:00 p.m.) in De Kuip Riquelme will be starting a match against Feyenoord that will beIf you win, you will automatically qualify for the round of 16. The draw postpones progress to the final matchday at home against Lazio and a defeat could leave Simeone’s team facing the abyss, for whom in that case only a victory against the Italians would be enough to access the knockout phase.
2023-11-28 07:04:15
#Simeone #rebuilds #Atlético #Lino #Riquelme #dagger #foil
