Scout Report: Marquinhos

Marquinhos, the future of Brazil’s defence

Who is Marquinhos?

Marquinhos is a Brazilian footballer of Portuguese descent. Although he had shown interest in playing for the Portuguese National team, Luis Scolari secured his services and gave him his first ever call-up to the Selecao in November last year.

Having been in the Corinthians set up since the age of eight, Marquinhos was very highly rated. While he didn’t break into the Corinthians side the way everyone expected, his six appearances for the senior side were enough to convince AS Roma to shell out 1.5 million Euros and bring him to Italy.

His time in Italy was undoubtedly his best football period till now as he established himself with defining performances against top sides like AC Milan and Juventus. A solitary season at Roma was met with applause from critics around the world and Marquinhos was the next big thing in world football.

Soon enough, PSG came knocking at his door and he couldn’t say no as he sealed a move to the French capital for a price of 31 million euros.

Career history

Marquinhos had joined the Corinthians youth set up at the tender age of eight. Through more than eight years of experience with them, he gradually developed into one of the most promising youngsters in Brazil. This was evident from the fact that he was made the captain of the Brazil U-17 team.

No more than two years later, he made it to the Corinthians first team and made more appearances towards the end of the season in 2012. Unfortunately for him, he was an unused substitute in the final of the Copa Libertadores which Corinthians won. Although he received the medal, he never made it onto the pitch in that tournament.

AS Roma’s scouting system was very active and they managed to get their hands on Marquinhos. While the factor of lack of professional experience was a stumbling block, they chose to ignore that and went on to sign him for 1.5 million.

Zdenek Zeman, the then manager of AS Roma, chose to put faith in this young lad and started him. Despite his first match being a loss, he caught everyone’s eye in his third. Playing against Atalanta, Marquinhos thrust himself into the spotlight with a great performance, which was the precursor for an entire season of amazing performances. Amassing 26 appearances in a solitary season at the age of 18, he left for greener pastures as PSG came calling.

His first season at PSG has been largely overshadowed by the dynamic presence of his fellow countrymen, Thiago Silva and Alex. With 18 appearances till date, he has been an important member of the team, although he has yet to bring back the impressions he made at Roma.

Style of play

Marquinhos’ early career was marked by him being identified as a versatile defender, but the subtle nuances of professional and amateur football led to him being rechristened a centre back with the occasional ability to switch to the right, should the team need such a change.

While the effects of Brazilian football are very visible in his game, the Italian acclimatization for a year has clearly supplemented his performances. The importance given to defence in Italy has made him a complete defender.

Playing from the back, his positioning is the biggest weapon in his armoury. The amount of concentration he possesses coupled with the right decision-making make him a tough tackler and leave little room for errors. His interceptions and reading of the game are very good. While his Brazilian teammate Thiago Silva is more of a physical defender, he is quite the opposite, as he impresses with his interceptions and calm demeanour.

While at Roma, he was a vital member of the squad and crucial to their performances, but his time at PSG has been more of a learning curve. Being exposed to European football alongside his Brazilian teammates, he is getting accustomed to performing on the big stage under pressure. With Laurent Blanc as his coach, a centre defender, it is highly likely that he will become one of the best over time.

Strengths

As mentioned above, positioning and reading the game have been his biggest assets. His light frame gives him speed, and that has been helping him against quick centre forwards. All of this put together makes him very good at making interceptions.

He also possesses the stamina to play long and enduring matches against top sides which dominate possession like Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Against such sides, his team would be compelled to defend as the opposition unquestionably dominates the ball, and his astute reading of the game could make him an important player.

Above all, his age is his biggest strength. He’s barely 20 years old and he is one of the best youngsters in Europe. This surely gives him the incentive and time to improve massively. Being at one of the best clubs in Europe with experienced players, he has everything to gain and will only become better as time passes.