This week one man has been the centre of attention at Cobham.
With the senior teams not playing, the focus has been on the youth sides, and they certainly made the most of that extra scrutiny in the FA Youth Cup. With all eyes on them, they battered Wolves 7-0.
Central to that win was 18 year old striker Armando Broja. The Chelsea forward lead the line with aplomb against the side from the midlands, orchestrating attacks from the tip of his side’s formation.
Writing in the Athletic, Simon Johnson notes that the English-born forward grew up idolising Ronaldo Nazario, not a bad choice for any aspiring striker.
One thing the “original” Ronaldo was known for was his blistering pace and acceleration. Broja doesn’t have that, and Johnson goes as far as to say there is “maybe a slight question mark over speed” when considering the strike’s game as a whole.
Plenty of forwards over the years have shown that clever play and technique and mean you can survive without much pace. Let’s hope that Broja becomes one of them.
