Under the microscope: How this 20-year-old has shown consistency for a struggling Santa Clara side

Gabriel Silva has become an influential player for Santa Clara since arriving on loan from Palmeiras last summer. The Brazilian youngster has slotted seamlessly into the Santa Clara front line and is making a name for himself playing in Liga Portugal. The 20-year-old forward’s market value has been rising as he is experiencing an impressive first campaign in the Portuguese top flight. The young player has become an integral member of Santa Clara’s first team with five goals under his belt thus far. Despite Santa Clara sitting second from bottom in the standings and seeming destined for relegation, Gabriel Silva is proving to be a standout performer with his contributions. Below are some stats from the current season to access the player’s overall performances.

Gabriel Silva features as a right winger for Santa Clara and has played 23 matches in Liga Portugal 2022-23, starting 20 times. The above viz shows the percentile rank of the player’s stats compared to other right-wingers in Liga Portugal. It can be observed that Silva has performed well in the attack and defence with respect to metrics like shots, expected goal contribution, aerial duels won, and defensive duels contested. Besides playing an important role in going forward, he also contributes defensively, but his gameplay in possession can be better, as indicated by his low rank in that department.

Attacking gameplay

The above viz illustrates the forward’s heat map from Liga Portugal 2022-23. It can be observed that Gabriel Silva shows high intensity throughout the right flank, particularly in the final and middle thirds. He also remains active in and around the opposition penalty box. He makes a lot of movement in the opposition’s half but also tracks back into his own half when required. Silva contests 23.05 duels per match and wins 43.5% of them, of which 11.73 are offensive duels.

The 20-year-old is Santa Clara’s top scorer this season, netting five out of the 17 goals scored by his team. He has taken 39 shots thus far and accumulated 2.85 non-penalty xG. He has also attempted two penalties and converted one of them. The shot map shows that most of the attempts came outside the penalty box from the right side. He is capable of shooting from a distance, as seen with one long-distance strike, but his accuracy can be improved. He averages 2.05 shots per 90 minutes in Liga Portugal, with an accuracy rate of 31.7%.

Creative attributes

A young and energetic player, Gabriel Silva can carry the ball effectively and penetrate opposition lines. He performs ball-carrying actions mostly from the final third, helping his team by stretching the play and creating spaces for his teammates. The young forward has made 60 penetrating carries into the penalty box thus far, particularly from the flanks. On average, he receives around 10.37 passes from teammates and gets 2.2 touches in the penalty area.

As a winger, Silva performs the task of stretching opposition lines well. His ability to advance forward through actions like dribbles and progressive runs creates spaces for his teammates to attack. He advances with the ball into dangerous areas by performing these actions successfully in the final and middle thirds. On average, he attempts 4.11 dribbles per match (a 52.4% success rate) along with 1.35 progressive runs. He also creates opportunities by delivering crosses into the penalty box (2.2 per match) with a decent accuracy of 31.8%, which can be improved.

Another way the Brazilian forward contributes to the team is by recovering the ball in the opposition’s half. He puts pressure on opponents inside their half and wins back possession for his team. This is evident through the 16 counter-pressing and five dangerous recoveries he has made. On average, the 20-year-old makes 3.91 recoveries per 90 minutes. 50% of these recoveries have been in the attacking half, including one inside the opposition penalty box leading to a shot.

In conclusion, Gabriel Silva has proven his significance despite playing for a struggling Santa Clara team. He has taken his chances well and scored some important goals. Besides, he helps his team with his attributes on and off the ball. The 20-year-old has the attributes to develop into a quality attacker, but it remains to be seen if he can deliver similar performances for the remainder of the season.