Johnny Cardoso is the best American player right now. His 11.45 km run at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium made him the fastest player in the match (he was also the fastest player in the first leg at the Metropolitano, with both times better than 1,000 meters). The six steals that allowed Atlético to take the lead in this phase, the suffocating pressure on Sarr in the 80th minute, or the maneuver to pull the ball out and start a counterattack ended in the following results. Julien’s goal in London last Wednesday not only gave Simeone the coveted number five, but also confirmed that the United States could land one of the best midfielders in the Champions League.
However, this is not a temporary problem. On the eve of high-profile tests like the one at the Bernabéu, Jonny’s good work is paying off in La Liga as well. He has played 783 minutes for the Rojiblancos, and is even more impressive than he was when Atlético acquired the No. 5 they needed at Betis. Therefore, pass success rate (88.4% vs. 86.2%), number of pass completions per game (41.8 vs. 32.7), passing (9.43 vs. 6.11) and ball progression through dribbling (3.45 vs. 2.36), recoveries (3.58 vs. 3.18), tackles (4.78 vs. 2.72) and defensive duels (10) increased. vs. 7.08), efficiency in the box (2.35 vs. 2.22) and chances created (0.46 vs. 0.37). The statistics are what make him the most relevant American football player in the current football scene and are important ahead of the World Cup, where he is likely to participate after the previous stages, where Neptuno performed strongly.
History is made every time Lionel Messi scores his 900th goal for Inter Miami
It’s no surprise, then, that Musso dressed up as Oblak to torment Tottenham, and that Simeone exposed the weakness he felt towards Cardoso, his quiet hero, even though Julian Alvarez shone once again in the guise of a world-class player. Indeed, after yet another impressive performance, the manager already knows he has a reliable midfielder for the ‘final’ ahead, after overcoming the injury ordeal that prevented him from starring in the first half of the season. But even before London, he was already showing signs of making an impact in Atlético’s midfield, especially in the final stages of the Copa del Rey visit to the Camp Nou, when he was the mainstay of balance and brightening the rest of the squad.
His silence and independent work are the keys to the explosion.
There are two other factors in Johnny’s apparent progress that make Cholo happy. On the other hand, even when he was unable to demonstrate his inner soccer potential due to an unfortunate injury, he continued to work quietly and patiently. On the other hand, his ambition and high level of professionalism were reflected in the time he spent beyond Cerro. In this sense, the Brazilian-American will have a personal analyst who will not only analyze his individual performance and the performance of the opponents he will face, but also prepare him mentally, focusing on both the tactical and psychological aspects, due to his desire to achieve perfection and perform at his best.
