Natanael – Coritiba’s burgeoning right-back
In a different world, Nataneal Moreira Milouski would have not made his debut and made strides this season as he had as many as three players ahead of him in the pecking order. However, Yan Couto joined Manchester City and will be loaned to one of their City Football Group affiliates as Lucas Ramon also left the club while starting right-back, Patrick Viera also suffered an injury. This led to the 18-year-old gaining increased game-time and impressing while also showing some growing pains as he has the tools to develop into a modern-day, well-rounded fullback.
Former Coritiba Head Coach, Eduardo Barroca sought to include youngsters from the academy in the first-team playing staff as 19-year-old attacker, Igor Jesus was promoted and was one of the team’s best performers at the start of the season before moving to Shabab Al-Ahli where he is thriving. Marcao, Kazu, Henrique Vermudt, Luiz Henrique and Nathan are other players that were included and have made appearances for the side based in the state of Paranaense. Natanael has been one of the more impressive graduates from the academy as he is physically developed, with towering height and an imposing physique that allows him to win aerial duels and make tackles in the defensive phase.
With Dani Alves in the twilight of his career and now playing in midfield for Sao Paulo, it has been suggested that there is a dearth of young Brazilian right-backs ready to take the mantle from the former Barcelona fullback as midfielder, Palmeiras’ Gabriel Mennino is now operating at right-back at club and International level after impressing as a midfielder. However, Brazil are producing some interesting fullbacks under the age of 20 like 19-year-old Calegari at Fluminense as well as Natanael who with more game-time and development, will challenge for the right-back position at Brazilian youth team level.
18-year-old, Natanael came off the bench away to Parana rivals, Athletico Paranaense as he looked brilliant on the overlap with sharp bursts of pace and dribbling. He also showed an astute sense of analysing when he should push forward as he is technically proficient with the ball at his feet, weaving past players or cutting away from markers to earn a yard of space or with high-level vertical passing. He created one opportunity with a good cross into the box. Away to Fluminense, he would earn a start for his side as he started the game by making good tackles in the defensive phase as well as strong overlapping runs to receive the ball and connect play in the final third.
He was his side’s best player as his pace added another dimension to his side’s counter-attacking moves while he also showed the ability to make runs inside his winger in the half-space. His blistering pace allows him to recover and track his marker inside to regain possession with lunging tackles while he is also adept at covering spaces in the defensive block. Coritiba are a side who prefer to be rigid in defence and burst forward on the break as Natanael was adept at shifting across to make timely interceptions while also being a stout back-post defender, tucking inside to intercept crosses or pushing across to force his winger to the by-line after switch balls as in tight quarters, he has the physique to nudge his opponent out of possession by making a good challenge.
As a counter attacking team, Coritiba will regain possession and with his winger bursting forward or the ball being switched to the right-winger, Natanael will have to make late bursts to overlap his winger to draw a marker and create space for his winger or to receive the ball on the break to push his side forward. He tends to have a much deeper starting position than most fullbacks his age as he will constantly need to analyse whether to push forward or hold his position or whether to push into the half-space or stretch play in the wide areas. In the second-half, against Fluminense, Natanael continued to make crucial tackles and interceptions on his flank as he also burst forward to go one-on-one with the keeper and have his shot blocked. However, the 18-year-old’s game would end after his missed opportunity as Fluminense broke on the counter as he made a rash late challenge to concede a penalty and was sent off as a blemish on what was a very strong performance.
The 18-year-old would return away to Palmeiras as that would set up an intriguing battle with the opposition left winger in Gabriel Veron as it would not take long for Natanael to receive a yellow card. He would have to remain wary of not being sent off again while facing a tricky young winger as Veron stood him up to cut in and have a shot saved. Veron would then score by chesting a Patrick de Paula lob past Natanael to hammer home a goal to cut in half a Coritiba two goal deficit. Although, it was tough game for Natanael, he continued to exhibit his attacking prowess, weaving into the central areas with mazy runs or making astutely timed overlapping runs to receive switch balls and allow his side to stretch the pitch. However, he would also lose the ball to former Chelsea midfielder, Ramires with a sloppy back-pass.
The 18-year-old made some strong challenges in the defensive phase as well as using his height to regain possession and win aerial duels in the pressing phase as regaining possession in the opposition half allowed him to participate in build-up interchanges with his passing. As Coritiba are a counter-attacking side, a player with Natanael’s technical skillset can suffer as the right-back would drive into the six-space from the right-back area but find no possibilities for a pass forward so would turn and work a back-pass to the keeper. In certain build-up sequences, the goalkeeper can use Natanael as an outlet as the teenager could allow the ball to roll across him to his right foot before playing a pass down the line or into the half-space to evade pressure, dribbling into the centre or playing a back-pass to the keeper if he has no direct options in front of him.
Veron was proving a stern test for Natanael as the fullback engages his winger with a body shape to force his winger to the by-line where he can outmuscle him in a tighter space, but he will also leave himself vulnerable to his marker cutting inside. 18-year-old Veron baited him into three fouls during the game as he cut past Natanael once for the fullback to get a hold of his shirt before nutmegging the Coritiba right-back as he was hauled down. Natanael did win some battles against Veron as he thrived when he could show his anticipation at push up to close down his winger down once he receives the ball, not allowing his winger to get in stride and winning the duel to break on the counter.
Natanael’s struggles against tricky wingers who prefer to cut inside was brought to light by Keno and Atletico Mineiro as the 18-year-old was beaten by the winger who is 11 years his senior, a few times at the start of the game. However, he made a challenge on the winger and a block on a strike as well as a couple of key passes in the build-up phase and a beautifully curled cross that caused the opposition goalkeeper some trouble. Atletico Mineiro’s left-sided centre-back, Junior Alonso played some brilliant passes to release Keno into 1v1s against Natanael as the 18-year-old struggled when the 31-year-old used his pace to charge to by-line as Keno used old-school know-how to dribble past him a few times.
Coritiba made a concerted effort to provide adequate cover for Natanael as the young right-back would have his winger covering for him and a midfielder tucking in next to him to close down the half-space. If the 18-year-old was beaten, the midfielder in the half-space would engage the winger while Natanael would move into the half-space to provide cover for his teammate. The youngter’s body shape in forcing Keno to the by-line stalled some Atletico Mineiro attacks as Natanael forced the winger into making back-passes as he continued to be strong at defending the back-pass.
Natanael would burst forward to carefully curl the ball for a teammate as the 18-year-old would also show his ability as a passer as he enjoys playing the ball from the wide areas to the middle, before moving inside to receive the ball and work connections. Atletico Mineiro would open the scoring as Natanael began to force Keno inside into congested central areas where his teammates could regain possession, rendering one of Brazil’s most dangerous wingers, ineffective. However, the teenager would be up against Hyoran for the midfielder to cut inside and curl the ball past the keeper. Natanael would still show attacking promise, working a pass to the half-space before making a run inside to receive the ball and working a pass into the half-space and making a run in behind as he did not receive the pass back.
Natanael is far from the finished product and has a few defects to his game as he has struggled against the higher-level wingers in the Brasiliero Serie A while he has been beaten for goals on multiple occasions this season. However, the potential and raw ability is obvious as he can regain possession by towering over wingers while having the strength to hold his own in fifty-fifty challenges. He has pace to lead his side on the counter as well as the dribbling ability to create space for himself with little twists and turns away from his marker. His vertical passing is innate and quick-paced to move his side into the opposition half with quick sequences. He would need to improve defending the central areas, especially in 1v1s, not allowing wingers to cut past him and into the centre to have shots or create opportunities.
“He made an extremely high-quality game, with excellent crosses. He looks for the bottom a lot to cross and he arrived many times. It was brave. I went lateral and I have this close look for athletes from the base. I saw that he had technical and physical quality, overtakes at the right time and is very well positioned,” said Coritiba’s Head Coach, Jorginho after another impressive performance against Vasco Da Gama.
Coritiba have been in the relegation zone and seem like they have already lost some of their young players in a market influenced by COVID-19. Natanael may not be ready to play in a top five European League but could be signed for a bargain fee for a side in the Belgian First Division or the Portuguese League. He could also be signed by a bigger side to be loaned to a feeder club to continue his development. His physicality, current experience and raw talent give him the potential to be a high-level right-back in a top European League in the next few years.
