Liverpool Complete Signing of Marcelo de Araújo Pitaluga Filho
Quick Facts
Liverpool have recently completed the signing of young Brazilian goalkeeper from Fluminense. Standing at 6’3″ (and given our great experience with Brazilian players in recent years) he seems to make a fine addition to our squad for the future. According to oGol, he has a dual citizenship with Germany as well, but thus far has kept his international duties to the Brazilian squad. Speaking of which, he was playing on the Brazilian reserves squad at the age of 16, which is a great accomplishment for such a young talent. He already has size on his side and may still gain an inch or two in height as he finishes growing (assuming he is not finished yet). Being Brazilian and speaking Portuguise will help him fit in well with the rest of the squad, specifically with the Brazilian players as well as Jota. Having people who speak his native language surely will help him settle in well in Liverpool.
Standout Attributes
From what I can gather from his highlight clips, a few things stand out. The first – and in my opinion the most important – is that he appears to be an excellent on-the-pitch defensive leader. He is constantly yelling to his team, calling out positions and opportunities for a counter attack. A good command of your back line is an incredibly important attribute for a keeper. Being in net, you see everything happening on the pitch, as the whole match is taking place in front of you.
The next standout quality is is his diving/jumping ability. Marcelo is quick on his feet and quick to get lateral to make a save, which is obviously a major part of a keeper’s day-to-day work. On top of his agility, his jumps carry him long distances in front of net, extending his potential reach.
The last major thing that stood out to me was that he has a ton of confidence and is not afraid to dart forward a bit to grab a ball in the box. This is definitely a major risk-versus-reward type of thing that differs between who you ask whether it is a pro or con. Personally, I see it as a pro overall. Coming out early can break the opponent’s stride, and disrupt their gameplan on the run, causing them to either give up the ball, or panic and make a mistake. That said, this may give more opportunities for easy goals if the keeper makes a mistake… and of course the increased injury risk.
In Conclusion
Overall, I think this will be a good signing for us. The youngster has plenty of talent as is, and a lot of room to grow. Plus, one more Brazilian on our squad is never too bad of a thing, right?