Sporting CP Academy - A Fábrica de Talentos

I thought I should give you an insight about what is considered the best generation ever at the u19 Academia team.
Although I've seen them play only a few times, based on the opinions of the sportinguistas at forumscp who follow our youth teams, I think I'am able to write something useful about the kids.

I'll start with the keepers and defense, and I'll write more when I have the time. Sorry for any mistakes, but english isn't my first laguange and translating portuguese football lingo isn't that easy.

 

Rafael Veloso (GK) Portuguese/Spanish 1993-11-03 - Good keeper, usually safe, although in the NextGen as had some bad performances, looked too nervous. It would seem that the kid fails in the big games, but in the portuguese u19 league this are the games where he shines the most. Has a big defect, he fails a lot of crosses into the penalty area from set pieces.

Mickaël Meira (GK) Portuguese/French 1994-01-25 - Nothing to say.

Pedro Duarte (GK) Portuguese 1994-02-18 - Nothing to say.

Ricardo Esgaio (RB/RM) Portuguese 1993-05-16 - Arguably the most mature player on the team. He's not explosive like JP or Cédric, but he knows what to do and when to do it. Good both on the defense and attack, and although he's not the most talented nor the flashiest, he's probably the one who's better prepared for first team football.

Edgar Ié (RB/CB) Guinean 1994-05-01 - One of the Ié twins from Guinea-Bissau. A right back when he arrived at the u19's, Sá Pinto started playing him in the centre of the defense with success. At 176 cm he's not as tall as the likes of Tobias, Dier, Ilori or Semedo, but he's very strong, quite fast, and anticipates very well the opponents. He's also good at withdrawing the ball from the defense with his feet without losing possession.

Tiago Ilori (CB) Portuguese/English/Nigerian 1993-02-26 - Probably you've all seen him play, as he became an accidental júnior star. A player who has been improving his game, although he hasn't reached the same level Carriço, Pedro Mendes and Nuno Reis showed when they played in the u19. He still as a lot to improve, as you all saw, if he wants to make it in the first team. His main problem is his concentration, or lack of capacity to keep it up the full 90'. On to his qualities, he is physically quite impressive at 190 cm, being relatively strong, very fast and has NBA grade leap.

Tobias Figueiredo (CB) Portuguese 1994-02-02 - The Force is strong in this one. If he doesn't slid into the dark side he may become a world class Jedi. Err... I mean CB. Seriously, if this kids works for it (and that's not given) he'll be great. Tall, strong, reads the game well. Last year played a lot on the u19, while still being a u17. As been injured all season so far.

Eric Dier (CB/DM?) English/Portuguese 1994-01-15 - On loan for the second straight season at some team on that stump(literal translation from portuguese football lingo)-filled league in England. Sportinguistas are hoping this wonder kid went there only so that the FA would take notice of him (which they have, as he was recently called to their u18 NT). Sadly, but not surprisingly, in a so technically poor league, any kid who can pass a ball to a teammate will automatically become a midfielder and that's why he's been playing DM for the toffies. The best CB we have in the Academia, has world-class written all over him, a born-leader, a typical tall british CB with the technique of an iberian player, imagine a Rio Carvalho or a Carles Terry, thats how he is. Comfortable with the ball, reads the game like few. Let's just hope he'll return soon.

Rúben Semedo (CB) Portuguese 1994-04-04 - The least impressive of the CB's, but he's a benfiquista so who cares? Also... he fugly!

Rudy (CB) Guinean 1994-??-?? - Ok, maybe Semedo isn't our worst CB, maybe this one his, but no one knows. He's from Guinea-Bissau and Rudy is short for Rudinilson da Silva. Hasn't played a single game, and his previous career his clouded in mystery.

Michael "Mica" Pinto (LB/LM) Portuguese/Luxembourgish 1993-06-04 - He looks fat, but don't let that fool you, as he as a great stamina and he's very fast and aggressive on the ball. He can play on the entire left side (much like Coentrão), and he's a very active player, somewhat like a left-footed JP. And like him, he doesn't defend that well either.

Rodolfo Simões (LB) Portuguese 1993-05-02 – Mica's sub, he's good, but I couldn't find enough opinions to write more than that.

 

I thougth I had read there that afterall he was really our player, but it seems that I was wrong. On the FPF website they have him on Benfica, with some statistics from this season so I guess it's official.

Btw, I can't seem to edit my previous post, so for now we'll have to live with those two lampiões in there.

 

I also didn't like what i've seen of him. But what I wrote above was based on opinions of people who have watched him play many more times than I have. That's why a wrote that.

 

Finally the midfield and wingers, and in some moments the strikers!
Note: To make the positions more simple I considered side midfielders as the same position as wing forwards. I know it's not the same, but the júniores always play 4-3-3, and we have had some side midfielders (like Cédric or Pereirinha) playing upfront as wing forwards.

So here it goes:

Agostinho Cá (DM/CM/RB/RM/LM) Portuguese/Guinean 1993-07-24 - Also known as Deschamps. An all-around midfielder, this Guinea-Bissau born kid is blessed with seemingly endless stamina and with the intelligence to play effectively at least in those roles. Sadly, he failed the beginning of the season because he was injured, and returned only some time ago.

João Mário Eduardo (DM/CB/CM/AM) Portuguese 1993-01-19 - The Captain, and Wilson Eduardo's little brother. Playing CM and AM he's just average, but he's worth gold playing DM. Good positioning, good at recovering the ball and a very good playmaker at DM. Plays similarly to Miguel Veloso, and with him on the pitch it's guaranteed that the team has more possession and uses it better. He has been fantastic this season, probably because he's playing more often in the right place because of Agostinho's injury.

João Carlos Teixeira (CM) Portuguese 1993-01-18 - Another player who has been taking advantage of Agostinho's injury, he almost didn't play last year but this season he's been one of the best, particularly in the NextGen. Fast and unpredictable, dangerous when getting into the box, may try a 1x1 against an opponent or try a one-two with a teammate (remember his beautiful goal against Liverpool?). He defends with a lot of will, and won't give up on any opponents play. He's similar to FCP's André Castro, but faster and more skillful.

Mateus Fonseca (CM/AM/RM/LM) Portuguese 1993-05-10 - One of the most talented players of his generation, the word fantastic comes to mind when thinking about him, but sadly he almost hasn't played this season as he is in a hurry to start his professional career. Tried to sign with Parma and some romanian club if I'm not mistaken (Cluj, I think). Meanwhile he returned to the team, but now he's far behind the rest of his teammates on Sá Pinto's depth chart. Phenomenal on 1x1.

Luís Cortez (CM) Portuguese 1994-04-18 - A first year júnior who hasn't been playing much. The people who saw him play on the u17 say he's quality. We'll see next year.

Filipe Chaby (AM/CM) Portuguese 1994-01-22 - Amazing technique, excellent playmaker, he delivers the ball perfectly, plays similarly to Özil, but has a big defect, sometimes he completely disappears for long periods of play (Matías Fernández anyone?). Still a first year júnior, if he wants to he can make it anywhere.

Iuri Medeiros (LM/RM) Portuguese 1994-07-10 - On a good day this leftie azorean kid is unstoppable, he's playing style is very similar to Messi, particularly is dribbling, slaloming between the defenders with the ball glued to his left foot. Like Chaby he has an abnormal technique, but sometimes completely disappears, and that's probably the only reason Bruma has always played a generation up, and Iuri only does it on occasion. I'm going to go ahead and cite a Sportinguista who follows the u19 team for some time now on what he had to say about this kid: "For me he's simply the hottest prospect I've seen on the u19's in this 4/5 years I've been following them live. It's impressive how easily he dribbles his opponents. They look like traffic cones. With his age, there is only another player on his level, Barcelona's Gerard Deloufeu". Btw, he's still a first year júnior.

Bruma (RM/LM) Portuguese/Guinean 1994-10-24 - Armindo Tué na Bagna, Bruma for short. Imagine a player slightly less talented than Iuri Medeiros, now imagine that player playing consistently during the whole match, or season. That's how you get a 16 year old starting for the u19 team of one of the best Academies in the world, and that's how you get that same player to shine for his u19 national team, playing against opponents two years older. Very fast and determined, he enjoys dribbling and facing his opponents 1x1. Recently his having more difficulty to shine on the u19 league and NextGen Series, maybe the myth created around him is starting to weigh too much. But the quality is all in there, and you can see him regularly leaving two or three opponents behind and going for the goal.

Edilino Ié (RM/LM?) Guinean 1994-05-01 - The other half of the Ié-Ié twin brothers. Physically he's the copy of his twin, not so impressive in the rest. But he's still just a first year júnior.

Farley Rosa (RM/LM) Brazilian 1994-01-14 - Another first year júnior who hasn't been playing much. Has shown some flashes of quality, do you remember his amazing goal against Liverpool?

Carlos Mané (RM/LM/ST?) Portuguese 1994-03-11 - Much like Farley, Carlos hasn't been playing much but as shown some quality, plus he's very fast

 

Strikers for everyone! Here you go:

Betinho (ST) Portuguese 1993-07-21 - Alberto Coelho looks like a beautiful success story on the verge of coming true, this kid seems to have it all. He's a great player in potential, a fanatic Sportinguista, his family (also Lions) is always behind him supporting him and the team, and he shares his name, Beto, with two of the most beloved Sporting players of the last decade. Similar in style to former FC Porto player, Lisandro López, he isn't tall, but he's quite fast and strong. He has also a great technique and shot. Strikers with both his quality and characteristics have been extremely rare in our Academy, if there was a single one. Look for u19 Sporting videos on youtube, he's always creating danger, both by trying to score and by assisting his many talented teammates.

Gaël Etock (ST) Cameroonian 1993-07-05 - He has just arrived. Not much to say for now. But at least you can watch him on youtube.

Altaír Júnior (ST) Brazilian 1993-08-19 - An unlucky quality striker. Last year he played few games because he was injured most of the time I think, this year he's behind Betinho (and fighting for the bench with a guy who came from Barcelona. Not that it means much, but it looks good on your CV). Still, when he plays, he plays well. Let's see how he does for the rest of the season.

Alexandre Guedes (ST) Portuguese 1994-02-11 - Another first year júnior who hasn't been playing much. Best goal scorer in Sporting u17 team last year. Still, word is, the kid is good but nothing special. We'll see next year.

 

Nope. Information about injuries is scarce even for the first team. We should just feel thankful for actually knowing that he's injured.

 

Rumour has it, this kids are going to Angola with the first team: Farley Rosa, Iuri Medeiros, Filipe Chaby, Luís Cortez, Edgar Ié, Rodolfo Simões, and Semedo "the Lampião"

It will be a great chance to watch them play!

 

I guess I'm easier to recognize there.

 

If Tobias wasn't injured and Dier wasn't on loan, he probably wouldn't start. I think Ilori is very impressive, particularly physically, but he seems somewhat more prone to making mistakes than our star CBs in the youth teams (like Carriço, Reis, Mendes, Tobias, Dier, etc...) would usually make.