Santos seems to have found a good alternative to dribble the little cash in hand to invest in big signings. Ricardo Goulart is a player who can still be the differential of a team at the level of South American football, but the small amount of games played in the last three years is a warning. The Fish will have to have prudence and wisdom to get the best out of the athlete
One of the great names of Cruzeiro, two-time Brazilian champion in 2013 and 2014, the São Paulo attacking midfielder was revealed by Santo André in 2009 and soon caught the attention of Internacional. In Colorado, he spent a season in the professionals and was loaned to Goiás, where he stood out a lot in 2012, and ended up heading to Cruzeiro afterwards.
The success in Raposa opened the doors of the Chinese football millionaire. And there he was featured at Guangzhou Evergrand from 2015 to 2018. He won the local league tri and the Chinese Super Cup three times, not counting the individual awards and the Asian Champions League title, the continent’s greatest achievement.
Ricardo Goulart’s Numbers
Image: Source: Opta
Injuries began to plague him at the end of 2018. In September of that came a serious injury to his right knee, the same that hampered his development at Palmeiras in April 2019. As much as they were different injuries, it is difficult not to associate the difficulty in recovery to the same source of the problem. Adding the two surgeries, it was 11 months without entering the field.
As if all that wasn’t enough, the pandemic still came, and as China was the epicenter of Covid-19, there were another seven months of inactivity. Local football only returned in mid-2020. On loan to Hebei FC, Goulart had a sequence as a starter, scored four goals and provided four assists. On his return to Guangzhou, however, he didn’t get the same routine. He participated in only 13 of the 28 games played by the club in 2021. In just nine he was a starter.
– In his most recent period, it was very clear how, in addition to the presence generated in the area, he manages to add to the last pass. It triggers sprinters in depth and serves the center forwards in the area. He was loaned out by Guangzhou due to a naturalized player limit. It was an option made by Fabio Cannavaro, the team’s coach, and who was criticized in China. Physically he was very good in 2020. He was only below one goalkeeper among all players in minutes played in the Super League qualifying phase. It surprised a lot of people – says journalist Leonardo Hartung, the greatest Brazilian specialist in Chinese football.
The ”China-Brazil” path has been made by some players in recent seasons. Some of them successfully and some not. The main difference is the timing. On average, Brazilian football is played three times as often, all in a hot country, which has more pressure from the press and fans, and often demands more intense games.
As much as many see him as a midfielder, Goulart is not a player who articulates plays far from the final meters of the field. He needs to be close to the area or inside it, attack spaces there, occupy sectors close to the goal. Even in a more oscillating physical moment, he still has the potential to swing the net and leave his teammates in front of the goal. There were 11 goals and six assists in the last 35 games he played. Basically generates a goal directly every two games.
The best role for Ricardo Goulart is to play behind the centre-forward, basically as a ”spearhead” of football from decades ago. A ”second striker”, with freedom of movement through the middle and arrivals in the area at the right time. It can also act as a ”9 shirt”, but without being so fixed. As a centre-forward, he performs circulating in the vicinity of the area.
Ideal role for Ricardo Goulart. Behind the striker, but looking for infiltration spaces in the rival area.
Image: Rodrigo Coutinho
In the system that Santos played the most with Carille in 2021, Goulart fits well in this role
Image: Rodrigo Coutinho
The athlete has a history of taking great care of himself and looking for tools even outside the clubs to improve his physical shape and get rid of injuries. It will certainly want to be highlighted in Brazil again, but this readaptation needs to be done calmly.
It is known that Ricardo Goulart can be the technical reference for Peixe in 2022, especially if Marinho leaves, but there is no reason to be hasty. Planning the season well for him is as crucial as the tactical fit in the team.
