Mitchell played every minute of Costa Rica’s Copa America campaign. He lined up as the RCB in a back five next to 29-year-old Juan Pablo Vargas and 32-year-old Francisco Calvo. Mitchell is 19. He looked extremely natural and settled in well next to his veteran teammates. Some of his most memorable moments came during the Ticos clash with Brazil where he went toe to toe with Vinicious Jr. to help secure a clean sheet and an impressive point in a difficult group.
The video above is meant to demonstrate some of Mitchell’s patterns of play which I believe showcase who he is as a player to determine what type of team he is best suited for.
Overview
Likes:
Stepping out to win the ball
Tackling dribblers
Looking to break the lines
Dislikes:
Being forced into recovery actions
Areas to Improve:
Staying switched on to continuously be in the most advantageous positions both in and out of possession
Breaking Down Actions
Stepping to win the ball
Mitchell is always looking to stop the opponent’s progression towards his goal. By staying in line with his other CBs, he holds a steady back line and waits for the moment to step. You can see him reading the opposition movement, adjusting his body accordingly, and staying within the area of impact of the opponent so that when an opportunity presents itself, he can step in and disrupt the play.
Defensive Actions
When Costa Rica is in a settled defensive shape, Mitchell is very comfortable engaging with opponents that are running at him. He is able to make tackles, interceptions, and clearances. If he gets past though, he can be rash as he tries to make a recovery action, often going to ground quickly and missing the tackle. He should be able to get this out of his game as he matures and learns that getting past him doesn’t necessarily create an automatic big chance against his team. He has other teammates to cover him.
Defensive Transitions
In moments where the opposition regains possession and breaks quickly to attack, Mitchell is adept at meeting and adjusting to their pace as they flow toward his defensive third. Meeting the pace of the opponent allows him to adjust and react to their actions, either winning the ball back or disrupting the flow of the counter attack while the rest of the team resettles.
Build-Up Moments
When Costa Rica is in build-up, Mitchell is comfortable and confident on the ball. He is patient, waiting for a player to open up ahead of him so he can release a line-breaking pass. He can carry to move the opposition before quickly releasing the ball to an open teammate.
Transition to Attack
While Mitchell is perfectly proficient at winning the ball back, he can have some trouble with his next action, usually opting to play a quick pass forward. As soon as he wins the ball back, his teammates are not set up to receive a pass and his passes can be rifled in or off the ground, making it hard for a teammate to control it and retain possession.
It is important to note that Costa Rica spent a lot of time defending their final third, making it difficult to find exit passes and get out. I think Mitchell can still take an extra second on the ball to locate an open teammate, even if they are behind or beside him.
Thank you for reading. This is obviously the first time I have done anything like this (especially with respect to the video). Any suggestions or feedback would be greatly appreciated. I have really enjoyed working on this project and presenting it in this format so I hope I can continue to improve it in the future.
You will notice that there are many differences between the videos and formatting of this information between the five players in this series that will be released throughout the week so please let me know which ones you like and which you don’t!
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