Angelina 2023/24 : How she can become one of the NWSL’s best midfielders with Orlando Pride – scout report

Angelina Alonso Costantino has just joined Orlando Pride for a contract that will end in 2026, knowing that Angelina was a restricted free agent during this offseason after having spent the previous three seasons with OL Reign. Orlando Pride exploited the fact that Angelina was a free agent and seized this opportunity to sign one of the most talented and promising midfielders, or rather defensive midfielders, in the NWSL at the moment.

Being only 23 years old also means that Angelina can acquire a lot more experience and become an all-round midfielder soon if she works hard on improving what is needed and, more importantly, if she finds the adequate environment to develop quickly. Seb Hines, Orlando Pride’s head coach, will need to deal with the new recruit intelligently and know how to get the best performances out of her while motivating her to keep improving.

At the same time, Angelina will have to strive to earn a regular place with the national Brazilian team and be present in the upcoming continental and international tournaments, as that would accelerate her development and allow her to gain more experience at the highest level.

In this tactical analysis article realised in the form of a scout report, the aim will be to explore how useful Angelina can be to Orlando Pride by identifying which positions she can occupy and what roles would suit her abilities. Moreover, the analysis will focus on her defensive and playmaking skills and link them with the need for such abilities in Orlando Pride’s tactics.

Angelina’s possible roles and positions at Orlando Pride

Angelina has usually been a midfielder but has played in various midfield positions such as central midfielder, defensive midfielder, right and left central midfielder, right and left defensive midfielder, and advanced playmaker. Also, she was used as a left and a right winger on a few occasions, especially when she played for Palmeiras.

Angelina started her career at Santos in 2017, then moved to Palmeiras in 2020 and OL Reign in 2021. And with already three seasons of experience in NWSL plus finding excellent Brazilian players like Marta, Adriana and former Arsenal’s Rafaelle Souza, Angelina’s adaptation mission would undoubtedly be more straightforward than if she moved to a European team like Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester City or others where the environment is not necessarily more complicated yet quite different to that of the NWSL.

Also, Orlando Pride have just signed an additional Brazilian defensive midfielder recently, Luana, and this would also represent another factor that can help Angelina be more at ease when being on the pitch as the duo of Luana-Angelina might become an impressive midfield idea for Hines. Both players have strong defensive abilities combined with excellent playmaking skills, which can significantly help in the offensive phase.

Nevertheless, Hines will have to find the best possible formation to use both players well without impacting the attacking phase. Therefore, a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 formation would suit the team in this case, as both guarantee defensive balance and attacking contribution from midfielders. As you can see in the following heatmap, Angelina can adapt to different positions, and Hines can try playing her in different positions.

This being said, the defensive midfielder position is what suits her best, given her outstanding intercepting abilities and physical strength. But in order to use her 100%, she should not be instructed to focus only on defending but also to playmaking. Trusting her in terms of playmaking and helping her acquire more confidence in this regard can potentially make her a very influential playmaker, even if she will keep playing in a defensive role.

Defensive abilities

Angelina is a defensive midfielder who wins 64.5% in terms of defensive duels per game and 45.6% regarding aerial duels, which is not a bad average as well. She often uses her body intelligently to intercept passes or block attacking players on their way towards the box while avoiding fouls. She can also be surprising to certain players as she uses tricks to avoid eye contact between her and her opponents, which would facilitate the act of intercepting the ball.

For instance, she preferred to remain behind the player holding the ball in this action instead of returning immediately to midfield following an attack. She delayed her return in order to be able to surprise the opponent, who was not aware of her presence, and eventually intercept the ball when the opponent was about to cross it. Such actions highlight Angelina’s defensive intelligence and not just aggressiveness without thinking.