Andrey Santos Scouting Report At Vasco Da Gama 2023 – Player Analysis

Andrey Santos is just 18 years old and has already ushered Vasco da Gama to promotion to the Brazilian Série A in his first season in senior football.

His impressive performances and character have earned him the captain’s armband of the Brazil U20 side.

This debut campaign has been so strong that the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle and PSG are all circling Vasco da Gama, hoping to lure the young asset away from his club only one year after making his debut in senior football — in the second-tier of Brazilian football, at that.

This article will contain a tactical analysis in the form of an Andrey Santos scout report to show exactly what made the 18-year-old midfielder so impressive from the get-go.

The analysis will highlight the skills that Santos possesses that make him so strong in both boxes and the Vasco da Gama tactics which have helped him to thrive in all the different phases of the game. 

Andrey Santos Player Profile

Andrey Santos is an all-action midfielder who almost resembles a classic box-to-box type.

The 5’9” midfielder has a large presence on the pitch at only 18 due to his athleticism, which allows him to be everywhere at all times.

He has often been played in a double pivot — in a 4-2-3-1 — where he protects the back four and also moves up the pitch to be a presence in the box during attacking phases.

Dangerous In The Final Third

Andrey Santos has scored eight league goals in 33 appearances so far this season.

For a holding midfielder, that is a high tally, which highlights the young Brazilian’s desire to get into goalscoring positions from deep areas.

Part of Andrey’s goalscoring record is down to his impressive shooting abilities.

Santos has the instinct and mind of a striker, with smart finishes dependent on the goalkeeper’s position and the placement of defenders.

Furthermore, he has the ability to strike the ball with either foot, although he has been inconsistent with the connection and power on some of his shots.

The 18-year-old also has the combination play in his locker to combine with attacking players to set himself up for the perfect shooting opportunity.

In the image below, we can see Andrey Santos combine with a teammate before breaking into the box and setting himself up for a finish.

He opens up his body, which allows him to aim the shot towards the far post and curl it precisely into the top corner.

While the midfielder is mainly known for his energy and goalscoring record, he can still be a creative influence in the final third.

The Brazil U-20 captain possesses the vision and creativity to find teammates in space with a variety of passes.

These passes are usually made in behind the defensive line, where the player has space to run onto the pass.

Andrey Santos has demonstrated his incisive passing through line-breaking passes along the floor and carefully weighted passes over the top.

In the example below, you can see Santos play a perfectly weighted pass between the two central defenders, setting up his teammate for a 1v1 opportunity against the goalkeeper.

While Andrey has demonstrated the ability to perform these kinds of passes, it has not been a common occurrence, and the total xA of just over 2 from 33 games indicates that he is the kind of player who prefers to be on the receiving end of these kinds of passes.

Santos is a goalscoring threat, and his biggest asset as a player to any side is his ability and determination to make late runs into the box.

The Brazilian has scored several goals for Vasco da Gama this season through runs from deep areas, where he can arrive in the box totally unmarked and free to shoot with no marker disrupting him.

This example below shows the desire Andrey Santos has in his attempts to get into goalscoring positions.

We can see him darting into the space behind the defensive line and demanding for the ball to be played into him.

From these deep runs, Andrey Santos has displayed composure and great finishing abilities by putting the ball in the back of the net with all sorts of finishes.

He can place the ball with the inside of his boot, shoot with power and have the power and precision to header the ball into the back of the net when running onto crosses.

Andrey Santos Influence In The Build-up 

In his own half, the 18-year-old has slightly struggled under pressure, and it is an area in which he needs to improve to become a complete midfielder.

Although he isn’t perfect, the Brazilian has displayed strong ball-carrying skills.

He is a powerful runner and can use his speed to carry the ball past defenders into open spaces behind them.

When facing a player in his own half, there is usually space for him to knock the ball past them and beat them to progress the play further up the pitch.

The image below perfectly illustrates Santos’ ability to carry the ball past four players to beat the mid-block and allow the team to attack the defensive line.

Andrey Santos’ ball-carrying ability is one of his biggest strengths.

It allows him to be a threat on the ball in every part of the pitch.

In his own third, these powerful drives allow the 18-year-old to drag the team up the pitch, while the map below also shows these runs can help Vasco da Gama penetrate the opposition box.

The Brazilian takes responsibility by picking up the ball and driving into the box, from where he can either pass, shoot or cross the ball from a dangerous position.

Andrey Santos Penetrating Carries Map

Under pressure, Andrey Santos hasn’t always been the most reliable player in the Vasco da Gama build-up phase.

The Brazil U-10 captain doesn’t seem fluid enough to quickly turn on the ball when a player is pressing aggressively.

As a result, he receives the ball with the opposition player right behind him while still facing his own goal, being forced to pass backwards.

Although this can happen too often, Santos has the ability to use his physicality when players get too tight.

Andrey Santos has a robust frame and can use his body to protect the ball from onrushing defenders while turning on the ball.

The image below shows you how, under immense pressure, Santos can actually escape trouble by protecting the ball from opponents.

As we can see above, Andrey Santos’ ability to ride challenges through his strong core makes his ability to protect the ball with his body one of his bigger assets.

The Brazilian has displayed a lack of awareness during the build-up phase, which can cost him dearly.

A lack of scanning means that he is often unaware of where the opposition is, and can lead to him being unreliable under pressure.

Furthermore, in the image below, Andrey Santos’ closed body shape means he can’t see what is behind him and puts himself in a position where it’s hard for him to turn on the ball as well.

As a result, it becomes more obvious that the pass will be played, and with little disguise — Santos can be too predictable.

In this image, the 18-year-old loses possession of the ball and gives it to the opposition in Vasco da Gama’s own third.

This lack of awareness makes him unreliable during the build-up and leaves him as a player who is most suited to being in the second and third phases of play.

In addition, Santos, at times, doesn’t show up for the ball during pressured situations, although that could be the coach’s instructions.

Andrey Santos Defensive Tenacity

Santos’ physical capabilities and work ethic off the ball make him an extremely strong defensive player, one of the reasons he has often been deployed in the holding midfield role.

The Brazilian’s engine enables him to remain constantly engaged throughout the entire match, while his mobility and speed allow him to cover large distances.

The map below shows how he can cover almost all the space between both boxes, and he has the legs to cover the whole pitch laterally as well.

The 18-year-old is an extremely busy midfielder off the ball who enjoys the defensive part of the game.

Andrey Santos Defensive Territory Map

Andrey thrives in 1v1 situations, where he becomes tough to beat in these scenarios.

He is patient and doesn’t dive into tackles but instead waits for the opportunity when he knows he will win the ball.

He is agile enough to react to changes of direction and has the running power to keep up with quick dribblers.

In the image below, Andrey Santos wins the ball back for his team after the opponent tries to nutmeg him.

From this tackle, he plays a clever lofted ball over the top, which leads to a last-gasp winner for Vasco da Gama.

Andrey Santos also has superb defensive intelligence, which leads him to perform a high number of defensive actions each game.

His reading of the game and positional intelligence allow him to be in the right place to make those defensive actions in each game.

Santos has shown an ability to scan off the ball, to look for potential threats and identify the highest risks, where he can anticipate passes that will be made.

This led to him gaining a large number of interceptions, such as the one pictured below, where he was aware of the passing lane and quickly shuffled over to intercept the ball before it reached the forward player.

Santos’ strong reading of the game, due to his anticipation and defensive intelligence, has allowed him to become a counter-pressing machine, where he has been extremely important to Vasco da Gama’s ability to win the ball high up the pitch and start dangerous counterattacking moves in the opposition half.

The image below displays how often Santos has won the ball back in the opposition half last season.

Andrey’s defensive awareness and physical qualities allow him to relentlessly press the opposition, leading to many counterattacking chances in the process.

Andrey Santos High Regains Map

The final part of his game, which allows Santos to be a quality holding midfielder, is the ability to make recovery runs to help deal with overloads on the defensive line.

The Brazilian has already demonstrated that he possesses the physical qualities to run up and down the pitch consistently, but he has also shown a desire to make recovery runs and help his team prevent conceding goals. 

The image below shows Santos making a run back to his own goal to block the cross going into the free player who has just entered the box.

Conclusion

This tactical analysis has displayed the key qualities that Andrey Santos possesses, which has made him such a desirable target for many teams around Europe.

It’s not often that you see an 18-year-old be a pivotal reason behind the promotion campaign of a team, especially from a deep position, which is a testament to how excellent this player is.

Andrey Santos’ skillset bears similarities to that of Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher or Newcastle’s Joelinton, both of whom are highly energetic players who thrive in both boxes.

They share a slight weakness in the build-up but, similarly, are highly effective at making late runs into the box from deep, helping with attacking play and being effective in the final third.

Both are also full of energy, which can be key to high-pressing sides and help them have a significant defensive territory.

Santos also has an added defensive skillset, where he is a monster in duels and positionally aware.

I believe he would thrive the most in a 4-3-3 as the #8, where his responsibility in the build-up phase can be reduced, but he has the freedom to arrive in both boxes.