Juan. A great 2011
Offensive quartet Oscar, Casemiro, dudu and Henrique were the most talked about players following Brazil`s triumph at the U-20 world cup that was held this August in Colombia, but there was also a less glamorous player that caught the eye of several top clubs. 20 year-old Juan Guilherme Nunes Jesus, known simply as Juan , led Brazil`s defense in the lucrative tournament. There are many good reasons the Italian trio of Inter Milan, AC Milan and Napoli are all chasing the talented central defender/left back.
Like many Brazilians Juan started playing futsal , and at the age of 16 joined the well-known youth department of Internacional Porto Alegre. On February 2010 he had an impressive senior team debut , as a left back, in the Gaucho championship, and from then on he became a regular part of the first team squad. After recording 18 appearances in the 2010 season (7 of them in the Serie A), came a great 2011 for Juan , playing mainly as a central defender.
On January and February the U-20 South American championship was held in Peru, and Juan started in 7 out of Brazil`s 9 matches on its way to the crown. Brazil completed the double in Colombia, with Juan playing every minute in each of the 6 games of the U-20 world cup – and collecting 4 yellow cards. Slowly but surely Juan became also an important part of Internacional `s first team, as he recorded 18 Serie A appearances in 2011– 17 as a starter. A year to remember.
Strengths
Juan is a very strong and aggressive player who was blessed with great physique (1.85 meters over 83 kg). He has very good speed for his height so he can compete also with small and quick players who try to run past him. One of the reasons for being an attractive player is because of his ability to play both as central defender and also as left back, where he can use his high technique with the ball to run burst forward.
Weaknesses
Still a young player, Juan needs to work on his tactical abilities, especially if he wants to succeed on the highest European levels. Juan sometimes tends to lose concentration during the game and needs to better his positioning in free kicks. This year he played mostly as central defender, but as a left back he needs to be a better crosser of the ball.
Mentality
Juan is somewhat of a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Off the field he is a very lively and friendly guy, always ready for a good laugh. But don`t let his innocent face fool you - On the field he is a predator, who takes no prisoners. Juan often gets into trash talk with rival players and can easily lose his head and make silly vengeance fouls which can cost his team dearly. His hot temper became evident in the South-American championship match against Argentina, as he was sent off in the 6th minute after elbowing a rival player On November, on a crucial game for Internacional against Flamengo, he received a yellow card and then angrily punched the ball and was awarded with a red card. He is a very competitive player who hates to lose and just needs to channel it in the right direction.
Current situation
Following a great 2011, Juan `s market value rose pretty nicely and is estimated at around 5 million Euro. He has a contract with Internacional until 2016, but with all the interest around him he may not play another league game on home soil for quite sometime. "It is the dream of any player to play in Europe and Italy is the best league for me because it suits my playing style", He said, "But Whether I go to another club or stay in Internacional , I am relaxed."
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