Ceni tests Nathan as a defender for his debut in Sul-Americana in Tricolor with ‘2022 face’

Without reinforcements hired for the defense, coach Rogério Ceni has been betting on improvisations to try to get enough parts to implement the system with three defenders that he intended to adopt for this sequence of São Paulo in the season. And one of the evaluated options goes through Nathan. Original right-back, he has been working on this defensive line.

Ceni is betting on the height of his side, 1.81 meters, and on his vigorous physique to repeat something he tried mainly with Léo (left-back of origin, today at Vasco).

That is, someone with the necessary stature to act defensively, but with the physical stamina to give that escape through the sides in the offensive reconstruction. With greater agility than Rafinha, in the same situation as the Cotia calf also last season.

For the time being, the result seen internally by the sides of the Barra Funda CT is approved. At the back, Nathan has been demonstrating solidity and, above all, a willingness to collaborate. In addition, the table with Raí Ramos, a reinforcement hired after the Paulista Championship, pleased the coach.

Everything leads to believe that the formation will be taken to the field by Ceni at 21:00 (Brasília time) on Thursday (6), when São Paulo debuts in the Copa Sudamericana against Tigre, in Argentina.

For the duel, Ceni will not be able to count on Diego Costa and Calleri, expelled in the final of the competition last year (when the club ended up defeated by Independiente del Valle). And with that, the tendency is for Nathan to enter the defense, with Erison being the natural substitute for the Argentine.

Tricolor should play with Rafael; Nathan, Arboleda and Beraldo; Raí Ramos, Luan (Méndez), Nestor and Caio; Luciano, Erison and Wellington Rato.

It’s the return of the same system from 2022, when Patrick (currently at Atlético-MG) played freely on both sides of the field, something that will now be played by Rato, and Luciano floating at the entrance to the area, without so many obligations to set up and in constant assistance to the striker.

That’s how Ceni commanded this Monday’s (3rd) activities at CT, where the cast first worked in a reduced space with the aim of breaking marking lines. Finally, there was a collective of 11 against 11, in full field, in which tactical adjustments were made.

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